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R&D ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’ of technology‐based firms located on and off Science Parks
Author(s) -
Westhead Paul
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9310.00041
Subject(s) - science park , sample (material) , variety (cybernetics) , resource (disambiguation) , value (mathematics) , marketing , business , economics , mathematics , economic growth , statistics , computer science , chemistry , computer network , chromatography
Science Parks (adjacent to universities) provide an important resource network for technology‐based firms. To ascertain the ‘added value’ of a Science Park location the innovativeness (with regard to a variety of ‘input’ as well as ‘output’ measures) of independent technology‐based Science Park firms are compared with the levels recorded by a comparable group of firms not located on a Park. Empirical evidence collected in 1992/93 from firms in a ‘follow‐on’ sample (originally interviewed in 1986) as well as a ‘new sample’ study (independent firms that had located on a Science Park between 1986 and 1992) both revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups on a variety of innovativeness measures. Results from both samples suggest Science Park firms do not directly invest more in R&D than off‐Park firms nor do they record significantly higher levels of technology diffusion. The policy implications of the research findings are discussed.