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Why do firms collaborate with local universities?

Author

Listed:
  • Rune Dahl Fitjar
  • Martin Gjelsvik
Abstract
This paper examines why firms sometimes collaborate locally rather than with higher-quality universities at a distance. Existing research has mostly relied on the localised knowledge spillover, or LKS, model to explain this. This model holds that knowledge transfer across distance is costly, and collaborating locally reduces the risk of information loss when the knowledge is transferred. However, there are various other reasons that could also explain the pattern. If the local university can make a useful contribution, firms might choose to look no further. Firms may also see collaboration as a long-term investment, helping to build up research quality at the local university with the hope of benefiting in the future. Finally, firms may want to contribute to the local community. We extend the LKS model with these additional motivations and explore their validity using data from 23 semi-structured interviews of firms that collaborate intensively with lower-tier local universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Rune Dahl Fitjar & Martin Gjelsvik, 2017. "Why do firms collaborate with local universities?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1732, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Dec 2017.
    • Handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:1732
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    File URL: http://econ.geo.uu.nl/peeg/peeg1732.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Loles Añón Higón & Alfonso Díez-Minguela, 2021. "Location, Location, Location: Do Universities Matter for Foreign R&D?," Working Papers 2109, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    2. Atta-Owusu, Kwadwo & Fitjar, Rune Dahl & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2021. "What drives university-industry collaboration? Research excellence or firm collaboration strategy?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    3. Utku Ali Rıza Alpaydın & Rune Dahl Fitjar, 2021. "Proximity across the distant worlds of university–industry collaborations," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(3), pages 689-711, June.
    4. Daniel Gama e Colombo & Renato de Castro Garcia, 2022. "The role of the academic relations of former graduate students in university-firm collaboration," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(5), pages 1524-1548, October.
    5. Marcus Conlé & Henning Kroll & Cornelia Storz & Tobias ten Brink, 2023. "University satellite institutes as exogenous facilitators of technology transfer ecosystem development," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 147-180, February.
    6. Emerson Gomes Santos & Renato Garcia & Veneziano Araujo & Suelene Mascarini & Ariana Costa, 2021. "Spatial and non‐spatial proximity in university–industry collaboration: Mutual reinforcement and decreasing effects," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 1249-1261, August.
    7. Utku Ali Rıza Alpaydın & Rune Dahl Fitjar, 2024. "How do university‐industry collaborations benefit innovation? Direct and indirect outcomes of different collaboration types," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), June.
    8. Giovanni Abramo & Francesca Apponi & Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo, 2022. "The geographic proximity effect on domestic cross-sector vis-à-vis intra-sector research collaborations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(6), pages 3505-3521, June.
    9. Katarzyna Kopczewska & Mateusz Kopyt & Piotr Ćwiakowski, 2021. "Spatial Interactions in Business and Housing Location Models," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-25, December.
    10. Giovanni Abramo & Francesca Apponi & Ciriaco Andrea D'Angelo, 2022. "The geographic proximity effect on domestic cross-sector vis-a-vis intra-sector research collaborations," Papers 2202.10347, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    University-industry linkages; Knowledge spillovers; Geographical proximity; Collaboration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory

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