He ich, Tobias Johannes; B enne , Thomas
A icle — Published Ve sion
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion?
Re iew o Regional Resea ch
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Sp inge Na u e
Sugges ed Ci a ion: He ich, Tobias Johannes; B enne , Thomas (2024) : Wha hampe s esea ch
collabo a ion in a egion?, Re iew o Regional Resea ch, ISSN 1613-9836, Sp inge , Be lin,
Heidelbe g, Vol. 44, Iss. 2, pp. 163-192,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s10037-024-00204-0
This Ve sion is a ailable a :
h ps://hdl.handle.ne /10419/315059
S anda d-Nu zungsbedingungen:
Die Dokumen e au EconS o dü en zu eigenen wissenscha lichen
Zwecken und zum P i a geb auch gespeiche und kopie we den.
Sie dü en die Dokumen e nich ü ö en liche ode komme zielle
Zwecke e iel äl igen, ö en lich auss ellen, ö en lich zugänglich
machen, e eiben ode ande wei ig nu zen.
So e n die Ve asse die Dokumen e un e Open-Con en -Lizenzen
(insbesonde e CC-Lizenzen) zu Ve ügung ges ell haben soll en,
gel en abweichend on diesen Nu zungsbedingungen die in de do
genann en Lizenz gewäh en Nu zungs ech e.
Te ms o use:
Documen s in EconS o may be sa ed and copied o you pe sonal
and schola ly pu poses.
You a e no o copy documen s o public o comme cial pu poses, o
exhibi he documen s publicly, o make hem publicly a ailable on he
in e ne , o o dis ibu e o o he wise use he documen s in public.
I he documen s ha e been made a ailable unde an Open Con en
Licence (especially C ea i e Commons Licences), you may exe cise
u he usage igh s as speci ied in he indica ed licence.
h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/
ORIGINAL PAPER
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s10037-024-00204-0
Re iew o Regional Resea ch (2024) 44:163–192
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion?
The pe spec i e o a ious s akeholde s om en Ge man egions
Tobias Johannes He ich1· Thomas B enne 1
Accep ed: 18 Janua y 2024 / Published online: 20 Feb ua y 2024
© The Au ho (s) 2024
Abs ac Resea ch collabo a ion is an impo an ins umen o inno a ion and
knowledge ans e . In his espec , ba ie s ha p e en o impede esea ch collab-
o a ion be ween esea ch ins i u ions and companies a e o pa icula impo ance.
In his pape , we elabo a e on he impo ance o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s by
conduc ing and analysing 77 expe in e iews om en Ge man egions. We go be-
yond he exis ing li e a u e by examining di e ences in he pe cep ion o di e en
kinds o expe s and by compa ing di e en ypes o egions classi ied acco ding
o he p esence o impo an ac o s, namely esea ch ins i u ions and la ge com-
panies. Ou esul s show ha esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s a e pe cei ed as e y
signi ican ba ie s o inno a ion ac oss all egion ypes. We ind di e ences in he
pe cep ion o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s be ween he expe s. On he egional
le el, he p esence o esea ch ins i u ions shi s he ele ance om missing pa ne s
o o he esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s, while all esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s a e
no pe cei ed as signi ican ly less impo an .
Keywo ds RIS · Ba ie s o esea ch collabo a ion · UI collabo a ion
JEL O3 · R1 · I2
Tobias Johannes He ich
obias.he [email protected] bu g.de
1Depa men o Economic Geog aphy and Loca ion Resea ch, Philipps-Uni e si y Ma bu g,
Ma bu g, Ge many
K
164 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
1 In oduc ion
Why is one egion inno a i e and ano he no ? This ques ion has p eoccupied sci-
en is s o many yea s. No only because highe inno a i eness is o en associa ed
wi h highe li ing s anda ds, p ospe i y and economic g ow h bu also o p o ide
e idence on he obs acles o inno a i eness (D’Es e e al. 2011; Hadjimanolis 2003;
Mi ow 2010; Mohnen e al. 2008). In his pape , we app oach he ques ion om
he pe spec i e o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s. Collabo a ion be ween uni e si ies
and companies (UI collabo a ion) is an impo an ool o knowledge and inno a-
ion ans e , which is essen ial in a egional en i onmen (Goduschei and Knudsen
2015; Kadlec and Blažek 2015).
Va ious de e minan s o UI collabo a ion can be iden i ied om p e ious s udies
and, in u n, ba ie s o esea ch collabo a ion can be de i ed om hem (Figuei edo
and Fe ei a 2022; Lopes and Lussuamo 2021). S udies ha e es ablished ha ge-
og aphic p oximi y can suppo collabo a ion be ween o ganiza ions whe eas ge-
og aphic dis ance can ac as a ba ie (Ge le 2003; Howells 2002; Pan e al.
2012; Pe uzzelli 2011; S o pe and Venables 2004). Also o he de e minan s o
UI collabo a ion a e discussed e.g. ounde ’s cha ac e is ics (Okamu o e al. 2011),
i m independence (Mohnen and Hoa eau 2003), echnological ela edness and us
(Pe uzzelli 2011), ype (and de ini ion) o inno a ion (Te he 2002), i m s a egy
(Fe nández López e al. 2015) and coun y (Ma zo-Na a o 2007; Rõigas e al.
2018).
In gene al, inno a ion ba ie s a e pe cei ed p ima ily by hose companies ha a e
inno a i e (Iamma ino e al. 2009). T ans e ed o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s,
his sugges s ha in egions wi h many knowledge ac o s, mo e esea ch collabo a-
ion ba ie s a e pe cei ed, al hough no s udies exis on his ye . On he o he hand,
i could also be a gued ha he e should be mo e esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s in
egions wi h ew esea ch ins i u ions, as he e is o en less esea ch collabo a ion
in such egions.
Mo eo e , he e a e no s udies ha dis inguish be ween ele an ac o s in a egion
when i comes o he pe cep ion o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s and he e a e no
s udies ha include he iew o in e media ies in he espec i e egion. Mos s udies
ocus on ac o s om ei he esea ch ins i u ions (Ab aham e al. 2020; Belkhodja
and Land y 2007; Muscio and Vallan i 2014) and/o companies (B uneel e al. 2010;
Lopes and Lussuamo 2021; Nielsen and Cappelen 2014), esea ch ans e o ices
(Hülsbeck e al. 2013;Muscio2010; Pohlmann e al. 2022).
Recen case s udies emphasize he impo ance o he in e ace be ween academia
and indus y, especially in echnologically less ad anced egions and medium-sized
uni e si ies (Alexand e e al. 2022). Howe e , he case s udies o da e ocus p e-
dominan ly on he in e ac ion channels and gene al collabo a ion de e minan s o UI
(Alexand e e al. 2022), he way how in e media ies acili a e echnology ans e
(Villani e al. 2017) o on a speci ic in e media y g oup, e.g. he ans e cen e
(O’Kane e al. 2021). In con as , we ocus on he di e ences be ween ac o s (com-
panies-uni e si ies-in e media ies) in he pe cei ed ba ie s o esea ch collabo a ion
in he egion. This p o ides a mo e comp ehensi e pic u e o he di e en in e es s
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 165
and obs acles behind esea ch collabo a ion due o he di ision o labo in inno a ion
p ocesses a he egional le el.
Fo hese easons, we ex end he li e a u e in wo ways: Fi s , we elabo a e on
ac o -speci ic pe cep ions o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s, including key in e me-
dia ies om he Regional Inno a ion Sys em. We ex end he li e a u e by including
in e media ies and examining hei a gumen a ions. Second, using a classi ica ion o
egions in o ou egion ypes, we show ha he p esence o non-p esence o esea ch
ins i u ions and la ge i ms in luence he pe cep ions o collabo a ion ba ie s, while
he o e all ele ance o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s is simila ly impo an .
To deepen he unde s anding o he ele ance o esea ch collabo a ion o egions,
we conduc ed 77 in e iews wi h expe s om en selec ed Ge man labo ma ke
egions (LMR). The in e iews ocused gene ally on ba ie s o inno a ion, esea ch
collabo a ion ba ie s and economic de elopmen . The in e iews we e analyzed
using quali a i e con en analysis acco ding o May ing (2019).
Ou pape is o ganized as ollows: in Sec . 2 we s a wi h a p esen a ion o
he di e en s ands o heo y o esea ch collabo a ion. Sec ion 3 desc ibes he
me hodological app oach in he pape and p esen s he en chosen egions. Sec ion 4
con ains he empi ical esul s and hei discussion. Sec ion 5 p o ided a conclusion
o he opic.
2 Resea ch collabo a ion
We di ide he chap e on esea ch collabo a ion in o ou pa s below. Fi s , we
gi e an o e iew o he ield o esea ch collabo a ion (Sec . 2.1), second, we look
a esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s om he pe spec i e o companies (Sec . 2.2),
hen om he pe spec i e o esea ch ins i u ions (Sec . 2.3) and inally we ake he
egional pe spec i e (Sec . 2.4).
2.1 O e iew o esea ch collabo a ion
UI collabo a ion is gaining ele ance because uni e si ies a e expec ed o con ibu e
o he economic de elopmen o he espec i e egion in he o m o hi d-mission
(Da Al es e al. 2015). S udies on esea ch collabo a ion be ween indi idual ac o s
a e mainly s udied in he li e a u e as inno a ion sys ems, especially egional inno-
a ion sys ems (RIS). In pa icula , he iple helix heo y ocuses on collabo a ion
be ween he h ee main ac o s—uni e si ies, go e nmen s, and i ms—in a egional
con ex and desc ibes hei a ious oles and unc ions wi h he ocus o esea ch
ins i u ions (E zkowi z and Leydesdo 2000).
Resea ch ins i u ions ul il impo an unc ions o egions. Fi s , hey a e he
sou ce o academic knowledge o a egion. Resea ch ins i u ions gene a e and ac-
cumula e knowledge, h ough scien i ic exchange and own esea ch (Godda d and
Puukka 2008; Jäge 2017; Ru en e al. 2003). Second, uni e si ies in pa icula , bu
also mos esea ch ins i u ions, se e as p o ide s o academic educa ion (Goldin
2016). They gene a e high-quali y human capi al o he egion (Faggian and Mc-
Cann 2006,2009; Goldin 2016). Howe e , om he mul idimensional sys emic iew
K
166 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
o RIS, esea ch ins i u ions se e no only as p o ide s o knowledge and educa ion,
bu also as sys em de elope s. In he be o e men ioned iple helix model (E zkowi z
and Leydesdo 2000), uni e si ies a e a key shaping ac o alongside indus y and
go e nmen . The hyb id, ecu si e, and c oss-ins i u ional ela ionships and in e -
ac ions among he abo e ac o s lead o inno a ion p ocesses ha bene i all ac o s in
RIS (Gunaseka a 2006). Due o he inc easing knowledge-in ensi e ac i i ies in he
inno a ion p ocess, he impo ance o esea ch ins i u ions is inc easing (Pe kmann
and Walsh 2008). The ole o esea ch ins i u ions as egional sys em de elope s is
e lec ed in he li e a u e on he engaged uni e si y (Cha e on and Godda d 2000;
Holland 2001) o , mo e undamen ally, unde he concep o he hi d mission. Uni-
e si ies also aim o c ea e a dialogue be ween science and socie y (P edazzi 2012;
Roessle e al. 2015). Th ough he an enna unc ion o esea ch ins i u ions, hey
can “condense in e na ionally a ailable knowledge acco ding o p oblems and de-
mands” (Back and Fü s 2011, p. 2), make i a ailable o he egion wi h i s di e se
ac o s, and hus in luence he egion. As pa o he concep o he engaged uni e -
si y, esea ch ins i u ions should also pu sue a s onge egional ocus in eaching
and esea ch (Back and Fü s 2011; Cha e on and Godda d 2000; Holland 2001).
This means ha academic esea ch and knowledge c ea ed should be aligned wi h
he needs o he egional economy. In addi ion, egional businesses mus be able o
adap o his knowledge. When hese condi ions a e me , esea ch ins i u ions can
be impo an d i e s o a egion (Back and Fü s 2011; Cha e on and Godda d
2000).
Resea ch collabo a ion is associa ed wi h he acquisi ion o new echnological
capabili ies ha a e necessa y o help ul o he in oduc ion o new p oduc s o
p ocesses ha boos egional economic g ow h (Iamma ino e al. 2012). Collabo-
a ion be ween uni e si ies and companies also enables s uden s and esea che s o
gain p ac ical expe ience and de elop hei skills in collabo a ion wi h indus y. This
con ibu es o he de elopmen o a highly skilled wo k o ce in he egion. A he
same ime, collabo a ion can help e ain quali ied p o essionals in he egion (Hei-
den eich and Ma es 2021). Uni e si y collabo a ion enables he ans e o esea ch
esul s and echnologies om he academic en i onmen . By c ea ing a dynamic
and collabo a i e cul u e o inno a ion, collabo a ion among uni e si ies can make
a egion an inno a ion hub and inc ease inno a ion e iciency (Fan e al. 2020;Xin
2020). This a ac s u he business, in es men , and skilled labo and s eng hens
he egion’s posi ion. Acco ding o Pippel and See eld (2016), UI collabo a ion has
also a posi i e impac on i ms’ p oduc inno a ion and p ocess inno a ion pe o -
mance. Robin and Schube (2013) con i m a leas he posi i e impac on p oduc
inno a ion. Hence, unde s anding obs acles and ba ie s o esea ch collabo a ion
a e impo an o imp o ing he inno a i eness in less inno a i e egions.
2.2 Pe spec i e o he companies
In p inciple, a company can coope a e ho izon ally (compe i o s), e ically (sup-
plie s and cus ome s), o ins i u ionally ( esea ch ins i u ions) (Badillo e al. 2017).
Companies pa icula ly bene i om collabo a ing wi h esea ch ins i u ions as i
gi es hem access o dis an esea ch knowledge ha enhances in-house knowledge
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 167
(Bozeman e al. 2013; Cassiman and Veugele s 2002; Wi sich e al. 2016). Collab-
o a ion wi h esea ch ins i u ions is an impo an ool o knowledge and inno a ion
ans e , which is essen ial in a compe i i e egional and/o na ional business en i-
onmen (Goduschei and Knudsen 2015; Kadlec and Blažek 2015). Acco ding o
Bolli and Woe e (2013), a company is only willing o en e in o a esea ch collabo-
a ion i he bene i s o he espec i e company exceed he cos s o he collabo a ion
( e u n on in es men ). Th ough he syne gy e ec , he collabo a ion can lead o an
inc ease in inno a ion p oduc i i y.
Nume ous s udies ha e al eady been conduc ed on he opic o UI collabo a ion
(Eg: Figuei edo and Fe ei a 2022). Many de e minan s o UI collabo a ion ha e
been desc ibed in he li e a u e: Company size (Eom and Lee 2010; Fon ana e al.
2006; Kleinknech and Reijnen 1992; Lau sen and Sal e 2004); sales p o ile, lo-
ca ion, abso p i e capaci y (Hewi -Dundas 2013); deg ee o in e na ionaliza ion;
owne ship, g oup o companies, expo o ien a ion (Iamma ino e al. 2012; Rõigas
e al. 2018); ex e nal knowledge sea ch, in e nal esea ch and de elopmen e o s
(Gallego e al. 2013); R&D in ensi y (Lhuille y and P is e 2009; Pa isi e al. 2006);
i m age (Cohen e al. 2002); indus y (Eom and Lee 2010; Fon ana e al. 2006;
F i sch and Lukas 2001;Te he 2002; Veugele s and Cassiman 2005); deg ee o
in e connec edness in he knowledge ne wo k (Lim 2009); openness and cul u e,
ex e nal in o ma ion seeking (Cassiman and Veugele s 2002); ounde cha ac e is-
ics (Okamu o e al. 2011); independence o he i m (Mohnen and Hoa eau 2003);
echnological ela edness and us (Pe uzzelli 2011); ype (and de ini ion) o inno-
a ion (Te he 2002); business s a egy (Fe nández López e al. 2015); and coun y
(Ma zo-Na a o 2007; Rõigas e al. 2018).
The ba ie s o UI collabo a ion can be de i ed in pa om he de e minan s
desc ibed ea lie . Howe e , he e a e also addi ional ba ie s ha canno be de i ed
di ec ly om he de e minan s. We di ide he esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s om
he pe spec i e o companies in o in e nal company ba ie s and ba ie s ha a ise
du ing in e ac ion.
One in e nal ba ie o UI collabo a ion ha can be de i ed om he de e minan s
a e esou ce ba ie s, which pa icula ly a ec smalle companies (C is o-And ade
and F anco 2019). Smalle companies in pa icula o en lack quali ied pe sonnel,
echnical expe ise, and also inancial esou ces. The e a e also adap a ion and im-
plemen a ion di icul ies (Me i 2015; de Mo aes Sil a e al. 2020). Acco dingly,
Azag a-Ca o e al. (2006) ind ha a s ong dominance o SMEs in a egion is a ba -
ie o UI collabo a ion. Co po a e lack o in o ma ion (including esea ch esul s)
a e also conside ed as easons (de Mo aes Sil a e al. 2020; Scha inge e al. 2001).
In a-company bu eauc acy, no o e en an an i-inno a ion s a egy, and a lack o
will o coope a e a e u he obs acles o UI collabo a ion (de Mo aes Sil a e al.
2020).
Many ba ie s appea in he in e ac ion be ween pa ne s. Gene ally, bu eau-
c a ic hu dles and especially uni e si y bu eauc acy a e conside ed ba ie s in he
in e ac ion be ween collabo a i e pa ne s (Figuei edo and Fe ei a 2022). Mo e-
o e , in he li e a u e, geog aphical p oximi y is conside ed help ul o collabo a ion
be ween o ganiza ions; on he o he hand, geog aphical dis ance can ac as a ba ie
(Ge le 2003; Lawson and Lo enz 1999; Pan e al. 2012; Pe uzzelli 2011;S o pe
K
168 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
and Venables 2004). López-Ma ínez e al. (1994) s a e ha cul u al and ideological
di e ences be ween collabo a i e pa ne s can ac as ba ie s. Di e ences be ween
he “cul u es” o he wo ields a e also seen as easons o inadequa e UI collab-
o a ion (de Mo aes Sil a e al. 2020; Scha inge e al. 2001). Azag a-Ca o e al.
(2006) emphasize he lack o adi ion in collabo a ion and he associa ed low le el
o expe ience as an impo an componen . Lack o o ganiza ional suppo , insu -
icien communica ion and in e ac ion among s akeholde s, di e en expec a ions
and goals, and di icul ies in adap ing esea ch esul s o business needs a e o he
ba ie s o UI collabo a ion (F anco and Haase 2015; de Mo aes Sil a e al. 2020).
Lack o mu ual o in e o ganiza ional us also appea s o be a signi ican ba ie
o UI collabo a ion (Lopes and Lussuamo 2021; Pa men ola e al. 2021). A se e e
lack o us and an accompanying high ea o knowledge loss, especially on he
pa o companies, o en makes hem eluc an o engage in esea ch collabo a ion
(O’Dwye e al. 2023).
In addi ion, con e ing esea ch knowledge o mula ed a uni e si ies in o a p ac-
ical con ex o en e p ise applica ions is a majo obs acle o o ganiza ions (Gilsing
e al. 2011;UnandAsakawa2015). Uni e si y in ellec ual p ope y policies a e also
pe cei ed as an obs acle by companies (Okamu o and Nishimu a 2013). Companies
ea ha compe i i ely ele an knowledge is in en ionally leaking o uni e si ies
(Gilsing e al. 2011).
Regional ba ie s, such as bu eauc acy and amewo k condi ions o insu icien
o ganiza ional suppo , a e discussed in Sec . 2.3.
2.3 Public esea ch pe spec i e
In addi ion o he socio-poli ical manda e o he Thi d mission, esea ch ins i u ions
depend on collabo a ion wi h indus y and companies, because esea ch collabo a-
ion b ings se e al ad an ages o esea ch ins i u ions. Fi s , collabo a ion wi h com-
panies gi es esea ch ins i u ions access o addi ional esou ces and unding. This
can help esea ch ins i u ions expand hei esea ch capabili ies and ealize hei
p ojec s. Second, by wo king closely wi h indus y pa ne s, esea ch ins i u ions
can ensu e ha hei esea ch esul s and indings a e ele an and applicable. Thi d,
esea ch ins i u ions bene i om sha ing knowledge, expe iences and inno a ions.
They gain in e nal company insigh s, da a, indus y-speci ic expe ise and hands-on
expe ience ha enable p ac ice-o ien ed esea ch. Fou h, companies can inc ease
hei isibili y and s anding in he scien i ic communi y. Connec ing wi h success ul
companies and join ly publishing esea ch esul s con ibu e o he ecogni ion and
epu a ion o esea ch ins i u ions (E zkowi z and Leydesdo 2000; Pe kmann and
Walsh 2008).
F om he pe spec i e o esea ch ins i u ions, he e a e some in e nal ba ie s
ha p e en o impede esea ch collabo a ion. Ramos-Vielba e al. (2016) desc ibe
ce ain scien i ic ba ie s, such as au onomy and c edibili y o science. Rosenbe g
and Nelson (1994) summa ize ha uni e si y incen i e sys ems o scien i ic ca-
ee s and publica ions do no make applica ion-o ien ed collabo a ion wi h indus y
pa icula ly a ac i e. Mo eo e , esea ch ins i u ions o en ha e limi ed inancial
and human esou ces, especially compa ed o la ge indus ial companies (Ramli and
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 169
Senin 2015). Vom B ocke and Lippe (2015) no e ha a lack o p ojec managemen
skills, especially on he pa o bu eauc a ic uni e si ies, can make collabo a ion
di icul .
As b ie ly indica ed in Sec . 2.1, esea ch ins i u ions and companies also ha e
signi ican di e ences in hei wo lds o hough , knowledge backg ounds, ime ho i-
zons, cul u es, goals, social con en ions, languages, opinions, no ms, assump ions,
and in e p e a ions ha can unc ion as in e ac ion ba ie s be ween he wo ac o s
(Hewi -Dundas 2013; Wi -de V ies e al. 2019). Es ada e al. (2016) highligh s
di e ences be ween ou ines (e.g.: beha io pa e ns) and di e ences in o ien a ions
(e.g.: goals and expec a ions). Di e en incen i e sys ems o companies and esea ch
ins i u ions (e.g., comme cializa ion s. scien i ic publica ion) can con lic and in-
luence he measu emen o success (Gilsing e al. 2011). Companies seek “s icky”
knowledge ha helps wi h p oduc de elopmen and maximizes long- e m p o i s.
Uni e si ies seek “leaky” knowledge ha can be published and is new (B uneel e al.
2010; Ramli and Senin 2015). Di e en ime ames a e ano he p oblem: indus-
y hinks in sho ime ames o compe e in he ma ke place wi h quick esul s.
Resea ch ins i u ions hink in longe ime ames and unding pe iods (Ramli and
Senin 2015).
The business s uc u e in he egion is impo an (e.g., many SMEs in he egion)
o ensu e connec i i y. O he egional ac o s a e discussed in he nex chap e .
2.4 Regional pe spec i e
As al eady indica ed a a ious poin s in Sec s. 2.1 and 2.2, companies and esea ch
ins i u ions a e exposed o ce ain egional esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s. These
ba ie s a e explained in he ollowing and summa ized in Table 3. F om a sys emic
poin o iew, in RIS wi h ew inno a i e ac o s (o ganiza ional hinning), he e is
signi ican ly less esea ch collabo a ion, which has u he nega i e e ec s on he e-
gion and he exis ing ac o s (Töd ling and T ippl 2005). Lopes and Lussuamo (2021)
a gue ha he weak g ow h o he business s uc u e is also a ba ie o UI collabo a-
ion, ew a ailable ac o s in he egion unc ion as a hind ance. O en, he loca ion o
public esea ch ins i u ions is obliga ed o policy make s, who c ea e he amewo k
condi ions o a egion. In gene al, he e is widesp ead ag eemen in he li e a u e ha
geog aphic p oximi y is help ul o collabo a ion be ween o ganiza ions and ha , on
he o he hand, geog aphic dis ance can also ac as a egional ba ie (Ge le 2003;
Lawson and Lo enz 1999; Pe uzzelli 2011; S o pe and Venables 2004). The pos-
i i e e ec s o geog aphic p oximi y include a po en ial compe i i e ad an age and
pe sonal local con ac s ha can educe coo dina ion cos s and, in pa icula , acili-
a e knowledge ans e . Small and medium-sized en e p ises (SMEs) a e assumed o
bene i especially om geog aphic p oximi y o R&D ins i u ions (Da enpo 2005).
Uni e si ies seem o ha e a posi i e e ec on he openness o companies, because
he mo e uni e si ies he e a e in he company’s egion, he mo e willing companies
a e o coope a e wi h uni e si ies. Legal amewo ks (pa en sys em, liabili ies, con-
iden iali y obliga ions, e c.) as well as bu eauc a ic hu dles, lack o o ganiza ional
suppo (suppo in as uc u e), and insu icien egional ne wo ks o communi-
ca ion and in e ac ion be ween s akeholde s a e o he egional ba ie s o esea ch
K
170 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
Table 1 O e iew abou esea ch ba ie s om h ee pe spec i es: companies, esea ch ins i u ions and
egional ba ie s
Company
ba ie s
In e ac i e ba ies Bu eauc acy
Geog aphical dis ance o o he companies and esea ch
ins i u ions
Di e ence in in e es and a i ude owa ds he su ey
Cul u al, idiological di e ences Di e en goals
Di e en language/le el o abs ac ion
Lack o o ganiza ional suppo
Insu icien communica ion and in e ac ion
Missing adi ion o collabo a ion
Low le el o expe ience
Missing us
P o ec ion o in ellec ual p ope y
In e nal ba ie s Lack o inancial esou ces (especially SMEs)
Lack o human capi al (especially SMEs)
W ong co po a e s uc u e
W ong co po a e cul u e/ideology
W ong co po a e o ien a ion/s a egy
In e nal bu eauc a ic hu dles
Li le in e na ionaliza ion
Pe sonali y ai s o company leade s/ ounde s
Adap a ion and implemen a ion di icul ies
Lack o in o ma ion abou po en ial pa ne s
Resea ch
ins i u ions
ba ies
In e ac i e ba ie s Di e en le el o abs ac ion is used
Geog aphical dis ance
Di e en in e es , goals and o ien a ion
Focus on p o i (quick esul s)
Cul u al and ideological di e ences (language)
Low le el o expe ience
Lack o adi ion o collabo a ion
Poo con lic managemen
In e nal ba ie s Lack o inancial esou ces
Lack o human capi al
Au onomy and c edibili y o science
Publica ion a ge
In ellec ual p ope y
Lack o en ep eneu ial alen a uni e si y
Bu eauc a ic hu dles
Regional
ba ie s
A i udes owa ds isk, us , en ep eneu ship and
collabo a ion
Business s uc u e in he egion (e.g. many SMEs in
he egion)
Low abso p ion capaci y o he egion
Bu eauc a ic hu dles
Legal amewo k
Lack o o ganiza ional suppo
Lack o suppo in as uc u e
Insu icien egion ne wo k and communica ion
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 177
“In many cases i is simply no knowing. Fi s ly, no knowing ha i makes
sense [ o coope a e] and secondly, ha he e could also be a e y simple access.
On he o he hand, i is also some imes he issue ha we ou sel es a e no e en
awa e ha in a si ua ion o s eng h we can pe haps also gene a e ad an ages o
he u u e h ough collabo a ion” (In e iew_Regional Economic De elopmen
Ins i u ion 2021c, 40).
The di e en ac o s ag ee ha he missing in o ma ion is p esen mainly on he
side o companies:
“So i ’s always in e es ing when you walk a ound he campus wi h en-
ep eneu s o o he people and show hem wha we do he e (...). And hen
hey always say, I didn’ know all ha exis ed he e” (In e iew_Resea ch
Ins i u ion 2021d, p. 87).
The lack o knowledge is pa ly due o he ac ha companies expec he uni-
e si y (keywo d hi d mission (Cha e on and Godda d 2000; Holland 2001)) o
app oach hem wi h conc e e p ojec s and oppo uni ies. The in e iewed ac o s
om companies miss he ini ia i e and he communica ion o he possibili ies o he
egional uni e si y:
“Wha I also said ea lie is he opic o communica ion o open communica ion,
anspa en communica ion, ha means, o open communica ion, anspa en
communica ion, ha means, when I submi p ojec s, I go in o communica ion
and ac i ely look o a p ojec pa ne om he egion and don’ maybe look
o someone om Cologne o some hing” (In e iew_Company 2021b, 6).
This could be in e p e ed o mean ha esea ch ins i u ions do no su icien ly
ul il hei hi d mission because hey a e s uc u ally incapable, a e o en poo ly
s a ed (specialis s and esou ce p oblems) and o en ha e changing pe sonnel s uc-
u es (con ac pe sons change). Bu i could also be due o he ac ha companies
shi he esponsibili y o hei lack o engagemen on o o he ac o s—i is always
easie o say ha he “o he s” a e o blame o hei own lack o in o ma ion. The
lack o knowledge abou esea ch collabo a ion oppo uni ies is especially ele an
o poli ical ac o s. Companies could be suppo ed in inding pa ne s by ce ain po-
li ical ins i u ions. On he o he hand, companies should also e hink hei inac i i y
and ealise ha ac ing p oac i ely is in hei own in e es (see “lack o will”).
4.1.2 Regional ins i u ions
This is whe e he second inno a ion collabo a ion ba ie comes in: Regional ins i-
u ions. A lack o o insu icien policy suppo is equen ly s a ed by companies
and esea ch ins i u ions, less so by in e media ies. Resea ch ins i u ions pe cei e
poli ical/legal amewo k condi ions, such as he modula i y o he s a e bene i law
and he unding bu eauc acy, as obs acles. One ac o om a esea ch ins i u ion
desc ibes he p oblem wi h he s a e bene i law:
K
178 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
“So ha ’s ano he di icul y, which I hink always eally somehow ies us up
a e jus hese p oblems o s a e bene i law (...) a he momen when hey ha e
ounded, hey a e no longe allowed o alk o hem a all, so a leas no longe
ad ise, because ha is hen somehow a se ice unde s a e aid law. They a e
only allowed o be ac i e in he p e-economic a ea, bu o ad ise a company ha
has been ounded, e.g. wi h ega d o poin s o suppo , simply as a uni e si y,
ha is no pe mi ed” (In e iew_Resea ch Ins i u ion 2021d, 89).
Fo companies, esea ch p ojec s a e associa ed wi h ime-consuming p ocesses
and bu eauc a ic hu dles in he un-up o (and du ing) a esea ch p ojec , as a esul
o which hey hen pa ly a oid unded p ojec s:
“The lack o a legal s uc u e o legal ce ain y o collabo a ion be ween sci-
ence and ins i u es as well as o esea ch collabo a ion. The lack o inancial
secu i y o isky p ojec s” (In e iew_Company 2021d, 32).
O e all, he ac o s om companies and esea ch ins i u ions in pa icula a e
calling o mo e and unbu eauc a ic suppo om poli ics. Bu eauc acy is a majo
obs acle o esea ch collabo a ion, especially o SMEs.
4.1.3 Lack o essou ces
Lack o esou ces a he companies as well as a he esea ch ins i u ions hemsel es
is pe cei ed by esea che s as a signi ican ba ie o esea ch collabo a ion. Ac o s
om he companies and in e media ies, on he o he hand, do no pe cei e he
esou ce ba ie s in he esea ch ins i u ions a all o ha dly a all. Expe s om
esea ch ins i u ions p ima ily men ion esou ce ba ie s in he o m o lack o ime,
lack o human capi al and lack o unding in esea ch ins i u ions. Among o he
hings, hey e e o he poo inancial esou ces o he esea ch ins i u ions:
“The uni e si ies hemsel es also ha e ew esou ces o ad ance hei egional
ne wo king as a hi d mission. These a e he challenges ha a e cu en ly hang-
ing in he balance” (In e iew_Resea ch Ins i u ion 2021a, 20).
In gene al, an expe om a uni e si y desc ibed he di icul si ua ion o esea ch
ins i u ions as ollows:
“Wha we do expe ience is ha companies app oach us and say: we ha e a p ob-
lem now and would like o ha e his o ha wo ked on o hough o e . And hen
we ha e o say ha we don’ ha e anyone who could do i a he momen . And
i you gi e us a job, we can hi e someone, bu ha akes hal a yea and in six
mon hs we can s a hinking abou i . Then he company is usually gone again”
(In e iew_Resea ch Ins i u ion 2021 , 79).
We conclude om his ha , especially in he case o public esea ch ins i u ions,
unding is impo an and necessa y o collabo a ion o ake place. In combina ion
wi h he abo e inding ha i ms o en expec esea ch ins i u ions o app oach hem,
he lack o inancial esou ces in esea ch ins i u ions also p e en s ge ing in ouch
wi h i ms:
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 179
In ac , a lo depends on unding. Because he companies don’ jus say on hei
own ha we’ e looking o someone wi h whom we can do some hing oge he
(In e iew_Resea ch Ins i u ion 2021b, 7).
An ac o om a company comes o he conclusion ha due o he es ic i e,
e y bu eauc a ic and esou ce-in ensi e hu dles o unding and he associa ed
unce ain ies and high up- on cos s, uni e si ies should be inanced less by hi d-
pa y unding and mo e by hei own unds o esea ch:
“In my opinion, he uni e si ies should ha e hei own po s om which hey can
conduc esea ch wi h exis ing companies o ha e hei own budge s ... which
hey can use o conduc a ge ed esea ch and de elopmen wi h he companies.
So, so o speak, ha i is no adminis e ed by a hi d pa y, bu a he ha i is
adminis e ed by he uni e si ies” (In e iew_Company 2021e, 43).
While companies and in e media ies, excep one pe son, a e no awa e o he lack
o esou ces in esea ch ins i u ions, all kinds o ac o s see a lack o esou ces in
companies. Resou ce p oblems seem o be pa icula ly he case wi h SMEs, since
hey ha e ha dly any oppo uni ies o esea ch collabo a ion due o hei size. They
a e also oo busy wi h he asks o day- o-day business:
“This is he case wi h smalle companies ha ha e 50 employees, whe e in
he end 5 wo k in he o ice, maybe one o whom is esponsible o sales and
p oduc , who does no ha e he ime o go down hese pa hs in o de o deal
mo e in ensi ely wi h hese people” (In e iew_Company 2021a, 6).
The in e es ing inding is ha esea ch unds a e only well sui ed o sol e pa
o he esou ce p oblems. On he one hand, i deli e s addi ional inancial esou ces
ha a e needed in SMEs as well as in esea ch ins i u ions. On he o he hand, SMEs
lack he s a capaci y o engage especially in he o en ime-consuming applica ion
p ocess and esea ch ins i u ions need ime o ge esea ch s a ed, so ha only
unds wi h a longe ime ho izon a e help ul. This migh be one eason o he
pa h-dependence in UI collabo a ion wi h mainly es ablished collabo a ion eams
applying o unds again.
4.1.4 Lack o will
Ac o s om esea ch ins i u ions pe cei e esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s signi i-
can ly mo e o en o e all han o he ac o s. This could be because hey a e pa -
icula ly close o esea ch and his is hei poli ical manda e. Ano he explana ion
is ha he lack o will and necessi y o engage in esea ch collabo a ion p ima ily
a ec s companies. All ac o s emphasise ha companies in pa icula unde es ima e
he impo ance o and he need o esea ch collabo a ion. This is p obably due o
many easons, bu also mainly o he ac ha he ele ance o inno a ion is no
su icien ly seen by companies in imes wi h ull o de books:
K
180 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
“I ’s jus ha some imes he e is a lack o insigh in o he necessi y on he com-
pany side, because why should you inno a e because he business is humming
like hell anyway and you don’ e en know how o ge he wo k done” (In e -
iew_Resea ch Ins i u ion 2021d, 111).
Bu also ac o s om companies and especially in e media ies men ion his iew
se e al imes. Fo example, an ac o om a company says in his ega d:
“Bu he i s hing is, I don’ see any s a ing poin s whe e I say we ha e o do
some hing he e” (In e iew_Company 2021c, 51).
O he (possible) easons such as lack o us , compe i i e hinking and sec ecy
obliga ions a e also men ioned. Some companies, especially la ge ones, do no de-
pend on ex e nal esea ch collabo a ion because hey ha e hei own esea ch ca-
paci ies and depa men s:
“[La ge companies] ha e he ideas, he people who can implemen hem in
e ms o numbe s and hey ha e he inancial esou ces o do he whole hing.
And om my poin o iew, hey don’ need o coope a e a all, hey can do i
qui e well and hey ha e he ne wo ks hey need anyway” (In e iew_Company
2021g, 55).
The lack o will combined wi h he missing o in o ma ion abou po en ial col-
labo a ion possibili ies in companies con i ms he need o ini ia i es om esea ch
ins i u ions. Howe e , excep o ins i u ions ha a e used o app oach i ms, he e
a e nei he he habi s no he esou ce o do his. A policy op ion migh be o suppo
Table 4 Ac o -speci ic iew o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s
Resea ch
collabo a ion
ba ie s
Resea ch
(n=9)
Companies
(n= 15)
In e media ies
(Chambe s & de-
elopmen )
(n= 31)
Docs % Docs % Docs %
Ma ching
p oblems
Missing pa ne s 6 66.67 5 33.33 20 64.52
Unin o med 3 33.33 3 20.00 8 25.80
Di e en cul u e 5 55.56 3 20.00 11 35.48
Di e en opic 4 44.44 2 13.33 3 9.68
Regional
ins i u ions
Policy suppo 5 55.56 5 33.33 6 19.35
Lack o ne wo k 4 44.44 2 13.33 5 16.13
Lack o
esou ces
Gene al 0 0.00 1 6.67 4 12.90
In companies 5 55.56 3 20.00 6 19.35
In esea ch 7 77.78 1 6.67 0 0.00
Lack o will Gene al 1 11.11 0 0.00 4 12.90
In companies 4 44.44 4 26.67 10 32.26
In esea ch 1 11.11 0 0.00 2 6.45
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 181
esea ch ins i u ions independen o speci ic collabo a ion p ojec s o app oaching
companies and sea ching o join esea ch op ions.
To sum up, Table 4p o ides an o e iew o he di e en g oups o ac o s analysed
and he ac o -speci ic ele ance o he esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s.
4.2 The impo ance o ba ie s o UI collabo a ion
As desc ibed in Sec . 3.1, he egions we e di ided in o ou ypes o egion ac-
co ding o hei endowmen wi h la ge companies and scien i ic ou pu in he o m
o publica ions (Fig. 1). In he i s pa o ou expe in e iews, we asked gene al
ques ions abou economic s eng h and economic s uc u e (see Sec . 3.2) and asked
abou he easons o he medioc e o low inno a ion ac i i y. I is o be expec ed
ha he easons he e di e signi ican ly be ween ou ou egion ypes due o he
di e en endowmen s.
4.2.1 Inno a ion ba ie s
The in e iews show, howe e , ha i espec i e o he egion ypes, almos all ele-
an in e iewees (app ox. 89%) men ion he local i m popula ion and sec o com-
posi ion as a cen al obs acle o inno a ion. Howe e , he easons di e be ween
he espec i e egion ypes: Fo ac o s om egion ype 1 (abo e-a e age numbe
o la ge i ms and esea ch ac i i y) hese a e mainly he low numbe o impo an
co po a e headqua e s and pa en companies and he indus ial s uc u al change,
which makes sense especially in he case o Bochum (Opel, mining, ...). The e a e
impo an la ge companies, bu o en only p oduc ion akes place in he egions. An
ac o om egion ype 1 desc ibes i as ollows:
“The challenge he e in he Leipzig egion, o Saxony in gene al, is ha hey
ha e ew company headqua e s and o en he decisions abou such hings a e
made in a e y cen alised way in o he , le ’s say, ede al s a es, and in he
end we always ha e he ex ended wo kbenches he e” (In e iew_Company
2021h, 4).
Ac o s om egion ype 2 (below-a e age esea ch, abo e-a e age numbe o
la ge companies) pu o wa d especially he o ien a ion owa ds ( oday) non-inno-
a i e indus ies and he indus ial s uc u al change in he egions. Ac o s om he
egions o egion ype 3 (below-a e age numbe o la ge companies and esea ch)
pe cei e abo e all he small-scale economy as an obs acle, en i e sec o s a e missing
o a e ha dly de eloped (c i ical company mass is missing). A small-scale economy
wi h ew la ge companies is less inno a i e because i has less capaci y o esea ch.
One ac o desc ibes his as ollows:
“O e all, I belie e ha his s uc u e, his whole small and medium-sized busi-
ness hing, is an issue. La ge companies can simply p oduce mo e inno a ion
because hey ha e he co esponding capaci ies. Because hey ha e hei own
R&D depa men s, because hey ha e money” (In e iew_Resea ch Ins i u ion
2021c, 22).
K
182 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
Table 5 The h ee mos impo an ba ie s o inno a ion and hei signi icance o he espec i e egion
ype
Ba ie s o inno a ion
on he ollowing ocus
a eas:
Region ype 1
(n= 12)
Region ype 2
(n= 16)
Region ype 3
(n= 29)
Region ype 4
(n= 13)
Docs % Docs % Docs % Docs %
1 Regional company
and indus y endow-
men
10 83.33 15 93.75 26 89.66 11 84.62
2 Size, loca ion, he e o-
genei y and image o
he egion
6 50.00 14 87.50 21 72.41 7 53.85
3 Resea ch Collabo a-
ion & Collabo a ion
5 41.67 11 68.75 22 75.86 7 53.85
Ac o s om egion ype 4 (abo e-a e age esea ch and below-a e age la ge com-
panies) p ima ily pe cei e ha he e a e no company headqua e s in he egion and
ha p oduc ion is he main ac i i y (analogous o ype 1) and ha he indus ies
ha exis oday a e no inno a i e (analogous o ype 2). In summa y, i can be
said ha companies play a cen al ole in he egional inno a ion sys em and a e
undamen ally impo an o inno a ion pe o mance, which is also explained in
many scien i ic wo ks, especially on he egional inno a ion sys em (e.g. Asheim
and Ge le 2011).
In addi ion o size, loca ion, he e ogenei y and image o he egion, insu icien
esea ch collabo a ion is e y equen ly men ioned as a ba ie o inno a ion in all
egion ypes (Table 5). Howe e , his plays a lesse ole o e all han he exis ing
companies and he e a e clea di e ences be ween he egion ypes he e, e en hough
hey a e men ioned in all egion ypes. While in egion ypes 2 and 3 he lack o
inno a ion collabo a ion is equen ly men ioned, i plays a somewha lesse ole in
egion ype 4 and especially in egion ype 1. This will be analysed in mo e de ail
below by looking a he a gumen s.
4.2.2 Missing pa ne s
In e es ingly, he di e ences be ween he indi idual egion ypes in a guing whe he
and why esea ch collabo a ion is no su icien ly es ablished smalle han expec ed.
I would be assumed ha egions wi h many esea ch ins i u ions and inno a i e
companies would pe cei e esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s less s ongly; his is no
he case. Howe e , he e a e some di e ences in he a gumen s.
Ac o s om egion ype 1 and 2 a ely men ion missing pa ne s, as hese egions
ha e an abo e-a e age numbe o la ge companies and, in case o ype 1, also
esea ch ins i u ions. In compa ison, ac o s om egion ypes 3 and 4 e y o en
pe cei e missing pa ne s as a ba ie . In e es ingly, he lack o la ge inno a i e
companies seems o be mo e se e e han he lack o esea ch ins i u ions. O en, i
is a gued ha only p oduc ion is ca ied ou in hese egions (ex ended wo kbench),
bu no esea ch. In addi ion, an SME-domina ed s uc u e as ano he obs acle o
collabo a ion.
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 183
“Howe e , i he en ep eneu ’s business model does no consis o R&D,
he e is no demand o collabo a ion needs, i hey should be sough , hey a e
he e and can also be used” (In e iew_Chambe o Indus y and Comme ce
2021c, 2).
Region ype 4 is cha ac e ised by an abo e-a e age ou pu o scien i ic publica-
ions and should he e o e be su icien ly equipped wi h co esponding ac o s. In e -
es ingly, bo h s udied egions o ype 4 a e close o majo ci ies (Be lin, F ank u
am Main). Resea ch ins i u ions could he e o e ge o sui able esea ch collabo a-
ion pa ne s (companies) no oo a away. Ne e heless, an ac o om he Hanau
egion ( egion ype 4) s a es:
“Well, I’ll say i like his: I you wan , le ’s say, ce ain unding when i comes
o de elopmen , inno a ion, he e is also in Hesse, bu hen you always ha e
o ha e a uni e si y wi h you, we don’ ha e ha on si e” (In e iew_Regional
Economic De elopmen Ins i u ion 2021b, 21).
Al hough he e a e esea ch ins i u es in he egion, he lack o a uni e si y is
pe cei ed as a p oblem, which is no coun e -balanced by he nea by uni e si y
in F ank u . The sho dis ance seems o be oo a o some ac o s. Howe e , i
is no iceable ha ac o s om egion ype 4 almos exclusi ely pe cei e ma ching
p oblems. In his con ex , he di e en cul u e is also s a ed equen ly. This is
pa icula ly ue o SMEs:
“[The e a e] s ong coope a i e ela ionships in he di ec ion o he uni e si ies,
bu I don’ ye see ha wi h he smalle and medium-sized companies. P obably
one is esea ch and he o he is p ac ice, i is always di icul o b ing hese
oge he and I hink he smalle ones simply don’ ha e his on hei ada ”
(In e iew_Chambe o Indus y and Comme ce 2021a, 10).
Fo egion ype 3, i was o be expec ed ha ac o s e y o en pe cei e missing
pa ne s o bo h kinds as a ba ie , because hese a e he egions ha ha e nei he
many la ge companies no a no ewo hy scien i ic ou pu . The ac o s in e iewed,
o en in e media ies, hope ha he es ablishmen o esea ch ins i u ions will no
only lead o esea ch collabo a ion bu also s imula e he economy in he egions
(incuba o unc ion o esea ch ins i u ions). Hence, al hough he lack o adequa e
companies is he mo e se e e obs acle, especially in e media ies ocus on esea ch
ins i u ions as a solu ion o he p oblem:
“This is simply due o he lack o la ge companies and esea ch and uni e si y
ins i u ions, which makes i di icul . I see his in compa ison o he dis ic o
Vo pomme n-G ei swald, he es o he dis ic is also e y s uc u ally weak,
bu as soon as you ge o he egion a ound G ei swald, i is comple ely di e -
en , because e e y hing is ep esen ed he e om esea ch ins i u ions” (In e -
iew_Inno a ion P omo ion o ice 2021,6).
Ac o s om egion ype 2 and especially ype 1 o en pu o wa d he di e en
cul u e be ween companies and esea ch ins i u ions as a ba ie o collabo a ion.
This is p obably ela ed o he ac ha wi h inc easing op ions, he di e en cul u e
K
184 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
o he ac o s becomes mo e no iceable and mo e impo an . In he ligh o he
abo e iden i ied simila ele ance o a missing o inno a ion collabo a ion among
he egion ypes (especially be ween ypes 1 and 4 as well as be ween ypes 2
and 3), one migh d aw he ollowing conclusion: The lack is explained wi h he
lack o collabo a ion pa ne s in he egion. I his is no he case i is explained
by a misma ch o opics o by he di e ence o cul u es. Hence, independen o
he a ailabili y o pa ne s, collabo a ion is no aking place su icien ly because o
o he obs acles and he will is no su icien ly s ong o o e come hem.
4.2.3 Lack o esou ces and will
Ac o s o egion ype 2 pe cei e abo e all he lack o esou ces and he lack o will as
main ba ie s. The lack o will has many causes. One eason men ioned exclusi ely
in egion ype 2 is ha he la ge local companies y o pu sue inno a ion exclusi ely
in e nally, as one ac o om a la ge company desc ibes:
“Bu cu en ly i ’s s ill on he le el o unde s anding ha I ha e, whe e I ans e
a lo o ex e nal eques s o he in e nal house. I ’s o en he case ha you s ill
ge he eedback ha we’d a he do i ou sel es” (In e iew_Company 2021 ,
p. 73).
O cou se, la ge companies wi h hei R&D depa men s a e able o inno a e
wi hou esea ch collabo a ion. Howe e , his con as s wi h he a gumen s p esen ed
abo e ha in egion wi hou la ge companies hei absence is seen as a main cause
o he lack o esea ch collabo a ion. Companies in egion ype 2 seem o ha e
become used o inno a ing wi hou access o a egional esea ch ins i u ion. In his
espec , i is no su p ising ha hey may be mo e closed owa ds such esea ch
collabo a ion. The inc eased closedness o he companies is also e lec ed in he
lack o us as a esou ce, which is men ioned qui e o en in his ype o egion:
“I hink he Cobu g companies would p e e o do hei hing alone, because
hey a e a aid—o he wise someone else will p o i om sec e lis s o disclose
some hing” (In e iew_Chambe o Indus y and Comme ce 2021e, 65).
This is a u he indica ion o a s ong pa h dependence in esea ch collabo a ion.
Ac o s who ha e been engaged in collabo a ion ac i i ies in he pas a e qui e likely
o do so also in he u u e, while o ac o s who a e no used o such ac i i y
ace many obs acles in es ablishing esea ch collabo a ion o he i s ime. Policy
in e en ion seems especially needed in his i s es ablishmen .
4.2.4 Regional ins i u ions
Ba ie s wi h ega d o egional ins i u ions a e e y di e se. The ac o s in egion
ypes 1 and 3 s a e especially a lack o policy suppo . Among he many easons o
oo much bu eauc acy o business suppo , oo li le assis ance (e.g. in he o m o
manage s, inno a ion manage s, e c.), legal s a e aid p oblems, in as uc u al de i-
ciencies (“I all depends on he in as uc u e”; T ansk ip _6_10.06.21_U_1, Pos. 2),
K
Wha hampe s esea ch collabo a ion in a egion? 185
Table 6 Dis ibu ion o esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s by speci ic egion ype (mos equen ly pe cei ed
ba ie s o each ype a e highligh ed)
Resea ch
collabo a ion
ba ie s
Region Type 1
(n=13)
Region Type 2
(n=16)
Region Type 3
(n= 30)
Region Type 4
(n= 12)
Docs % Docs % Docs % Docs %
Lack o esou ces 5 38.46 8 50.00 11 36.67 1 8.33
Lack o will 4 30.77 8 50.00 8 26.67 2 16.67
Ma ching
p oblems
Missing
pa ne s
Lack o esea ch
ins i u ions
1 7.69 4 25.00 15 50.00 6 50.00
Lack o inno a i e
companies
2 15.38 4 25.00 9 30.00 6 50.00
Unin o med 2 15.38 4 25.00 6 20.00 2 16.67
Di e en cul u e 5 38.46 5 31.25 7 23.33 4 33.33
Di e en opic 1 7.69 4 25.00 2 6.67 2 16.67
Regional
ins i u ions
Policy suppo 4 30.77 3 18.75 11 36.67 1 8.33
Lack o ne wo k 4 30.77 5 31.25 4 13.33 1 8.33
i s ands ou ha in some egions pas poli ical mis akes ha e a s ong in luence on
he composi ion o he cu en economic ac o s:
O cou se, he e was also a g ea deal o incompe ence and ideological aspec s
o some who emained in he house and a e pe haps e en in i o his day. This
ime could ha e been shaped di e en ly o Ge a, we didn’ ha e much luck
wi h he elec ed mayo s (In e iew_Poli ics 2021, 21).
Especially in he case o egional ins i u ional ba ie s, poli ical ac o s can ha e
a o ma i e e ec . Poli icians and ac o s in economically isola ed egions could be
gi en expe suppo , e.g. h ough poli ical and economic consul ancy, o make he
egions mo e economically sus ainable and inno a i e. I may also be possible o
c ea e s uc u es ha ha e a s abilising e ec on he egions.
4.2.5 Region ype and inno a ion collabo a ion
O e all, i can be deduced om he s a emen s ha i companies o esea ch ins i u es
a e missing o do no i , his is pe cei ed as a esea ch collabo a ion ba ie ; i no ,
o he esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s a e in ocus (see Table 6). In his espec , i is
no necessa ily he lack o one o mo e esea ch ins i u ions in he egion ha is eally
he decisi e poin , bu p obably a he he associa ed la ge ini ia ion e o , he low
le el o willingness, he o e looking o he need o collabo a ion, ese a ions and
p ejudices owa ds collabo a ion pa ne s and he lack o managemen o a ne wo k
in he egions (es ablishing connec ions, e c.). O cou se, geog aphical dis ance is
also a de e minan ha nega i ely in luences hese ac o s, which has al eady been
well elabo a ed in he li e a u e (e.g. Boschma 2005; Lopes and Lussuamo 2021).
Ne e heless, ini ia ing esea ch collabo a ion is always a di icul unde aking. The
p esence o he ac o s only means ha policy can be e in e ene because o he
ba ie s can be add essed.
K
186 T. J. He ich, T. B enne
5 Conclusions
Resea ch collabo a ion is impo an o he companies and hei inno a ion pe o -
mance on he one hand, and o he egion and i s de elopmen on he o he . We
examined he ba ie s o esea ch collabo a ion in en egions and ob ained a lo o
de ailed insigh s. They can be summa ized in o wo main indings ha go beyond
he exis ing li e a u e. Fi s , we ind no majo di e ences in he o e all ele ance o
a lack o esea ch collabo a ion o he inno a i eness o he egion be ween egion
wi h o wi hou many la ge i ms o esea ch ins i u ions. We conclude ha i com-
panies o esea ch ins i u es a e missing o do no i , his is pe cei ed as a esea ch
collabo a ion ba ie , i no , o he esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s a e in ocus. Hence,
esea ch collabo a ion is always no done as much as i could be done independen o
he egional endowmen . Second, we show ha di e en s akeholde s ha e di e en
in e es s and ace di e en ba ie s, bu ha he e is a di ision o labo in inno a ion
p ocesses on he egional le el. As a consequence, he quali y o egional inno a ion
sys ems s ongly depends on how easy i is o es ablish coope a i e ela ionships and
he abili y o manage esea ch collabo a ion ba ie s wi hin he egional ne wo k.
In mo e de ail, we we e able o iden i y he ollowing di e ences and simila i ies
be ween he ac o g oups and egion ypes. Fi s ly, ma ching p oblems a e pe cei ed
as he dominan collabo a ion ba ie by all kinds o ac o s. Howe e , he easons
o he ma ching p oblems di e . Ac o s om egions wi h many la ge companies
( ypes 1 and 2) a ely pe cei e missing pa ne s as a p oblem, while ac o s om e-
gion wi hou la ge companies ( ypes 3 and 4) o en s a e missing pa ne s as a main
issue. The p esence o la ge companies seems mo e ele an o his ba ie han
he p esence o esea ch ins i u ions, al hough in e media ies in pa icula empha-
sise esea ch acili ies as a solu ion o he p oblem o low esea ch collabo a ion.
Secondly, he lack o esou ces in esea ch ins i u ions is (almos ) exclusi ely pe -
cei ed by hem as a dominan ba ie . The lack o will, on he o he hand, is mo e
o an issue o companies. We conclude om his ha i is p ima ily public esea ch
ins i u ions ha need o be suppo ed h ough unding so ha collabo a ion is ca ied
ou . In e media ies and uni e si ies in pa icula accuse companies o no ecognis-
ing he necessi y and ele ance o esea ch collabo a ion and he e o e emaining
inac i e. This esul s in a s ong pa h dependence in collabo a ion ac i i y. Thi dly,
ac oss all g oups o ac o s and ypes o egion, di e en cul u e be ween uni e -
si ies and companies is pe cei ed as a signi ican ba ie o esea ch collabo a ion.
Uni e si ies a e slowe and mo e sluggish han companies, ha e a di e en ocus,
di e en success ac o s and goals ( heo y s. p ac ice). This di e ence in cul u e
seems o be mo e se e e o SMEs and esea ch ins i u ions. Fou hly, policy sup-
po is di icul , especially o companies and esea ch ins i u ions. This is due o
high bu eauc a ic hu dles ( o unding p ojec s), modula i ies o s a e aid law, lack
o legal ce ain y o collabo a ion be ween science and ins i u ions as well as o e-
sea ch collabo a ion and a lack o inancial secu i y o isky p ojec s. In e es ingly,
his is mainly a heme in he well- esou ced (Type 1) and poo ly esou ced (Type 3)
egions. SMEs a e pa icula ly a ec ed by his and su e om hese ba ie s.
The di e en ele ance bu also he commonali ies in he pe cep ion o he di -
e en g oups o ac o s help o be e classi y and unde s and he mani old esea ch
K
