GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY: A STIMULUS FOR GREATER KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND TECHNOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY RELATIONSHIPS
Joseph E.
Coombs, James Madison University
Michael Santoro, Lehigh
University
Principal Topic
This paper analyzes the relationship between firm and university geographic proximity and the technological outcomes generated by the firm. Organizational location is a consequential strategic choice, particularly for new high technology firms. By carefully selecting firm location, entrepreneurs can take advantage of knowledge spillovers from other firms within their industry, especially when these firms are involved in research consortia and technology relationships with university technology research centers. These knowledge spillovers often compliment the firm’s internal research capabilities and initiatives by enabling them to create different and greater levels of technological outcomes from limited internal resources.
Method
A multi-method design will be employed in order to obtain both quantitative data for hypothesis testing and qualitative data that will provide a richer examination of this phenomenon. Secondary and open-ended interview data will be collected and analyzed in order to develop a conceptual framework. The secondary data will include recent programs and survey protocols from National Science Foundation supported Engineering Research Centers and Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers. Data related to the geographic proximity of the target firms and their university partners are hypothesized to be positively associated with technological outcomes such as patents, patent applications, licenses, and non-patented/licensed products and processes.
Implications
Geographic proximity has previously been shown to be an important factor in the spillover of knowledge from universities to industry. By providing evidence that these knowledge spillovers can be used to effectively enhance the technological outcomes of new high technology firms, both researchers and practitioners will benefit. Further researcher into geographic “hot spots” can only add to our understanding of the agglomeration process and the resulting knowledge spillovers.
CONTACT: Joseph Coombs, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807; Office 540-568-3238; Fax 540-568-2754; coombsje@jmu.edu
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