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SOCIAL NETWORKS AND COMPETITIVE GROWTH OF UNIVERSITY SPIN‐OFF FIRMS: A TALE OF TWO CONTRASTING CITIES
Author(s) -
SOETANTO DANNY P.,
VAN GEENHUIZEN MARINA
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1467-9663
pISSN - 0040-747X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2009.00529.x
Subject(s) - economic geography , context (archaeology) , economies of agglomeration , urban agglomeration , social network (sociolinguistics) , contrast (vision) , set (abstract data type) , spin offs , focus (optics) , regional science , business , demographic economics , geography , economic growth , industrial organization , economics , political science , computer science , physics , archaeology , optics , artificial intelligence , law , social media , programming language
A key assumption in agglomeration theory is that knowledge‐based firms benefit from knowledge spillovers in cities. Cities however may have different locations in the national context, such as embedded in a network of nearby cities or relatively isolated. We examine social networks employed by university spin‐off firms in urban environments that contrast in such a way, namely, Delft (the Netherlands) and Trondheim (Norway). A set of growth models is explored with a focus on characteristics of social networks through which knowledge is acquired, such as tightness, strength and spatial orientation. The networks appear to differ in various respects, except for a positive influence on growth of heterogeneity in the social background of partners. The largest difference is observed in strength of relationships: an increase in strength tends to hamper growth in Delft, while it tends to enhance growth in Trondheim.