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Research portfolios of universities. searching for opportunities and collaboration partners

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  • Paulo Morceiro
  • Ron Boschma
  • Pierre-Alex Balland

Abstract

Universities lack a comprehensive view of their entire research portfolio when looking for opportunities in new research fields and searching for collaboration partners. The paper presents an analytical framework, building on the principle of relatedness, that aims to assess the potential of universities to extend their research portfolios, to identify potentials of collaborations with other research organizations, and to determine the extent to which universities exploit complementarities in their collaborations. We illustrate the framework presenting the case of an university alliance between three Dutch universities that aims to contribute to the circular society. Publication data are used to identify relevant scientific capabilities of the universities to promote the circular society, in what research fields complementarities can be identified between partners, and to what extent partners exploit those complementarities in terms of co-publications.

Suggested Citation

  • Paulo Morceiro & Ron Boschma & Pierre-Alex Balland, 2025. "Research portfolios of universities. searching for opportunities and collaboration partners," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2506, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Feb 2025.
    • Handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:2506
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    File URL: http://econ.geo.uu.nl/peeg/peeg2506.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Elisa Cordeiro Bastos & Aline Rossales Sengik & Jorge Tello-Gamarra, 2021. "Fifty years of University-industry collaboration: a global bibliometrics overview," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 48(2), pages 177-199.
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    6. Pierre-Alexandre Balland & Ron Boschma, 2021. "Complementary interregional linkages and Smart Specialisation: an empirical study on European regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(6), pages 1059-1070, June.
    7. Nees Jan van Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2009. "How to normalize cooccurrence data? An analysis of some well‐known similarity measures," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 60(8), pages 1635-1651, August.
    8. Ron Boschma, 2017. "Relatedness as driver of regional diversification: a research agenda," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(3), pages 351-364, March.
    9. Abramo, Giovanni & D’Angelo, Ciriaco Andrea & Zhang, Lin, 2018. "A comparison of two approaches for measuring interdisciplinary research output: The disciplinary diversity of authors vs the disciplinary diversity of the reference list," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 1182-1193.
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    11. Catalán, Pablo & Navarrete, Carlos & Figueroa, Felipe, 2022. "The scientific and technological cross-space: Is technological diversification driven by scientific endogenous capacity?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(8).
    12. Roberta Capello & Andrea Caragliu, 2018. "Proximities and the Intensity of Scientific Relations," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 41(1), pages 7-44, January.
    13. Ron Boschma, 2017. "Relatedness as driver behind regional diversification: a research agenda," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1702, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2017.
    14. van Eck, N.J.P. & Waltman, L., 2009. "How to Normalize Co-Occurrence Data? An Analysis of Some Well-Known Similarity Measures," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2009-001-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    scientific portfolio of universities; scientific capabilities; scientific complementarities; inter-university collaborations; circular society;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J82 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Labor Force Composition
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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