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Emergence and Growth of Mjärdevi Science Park in Linköping, Sweden1

2006; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 14; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09654310600852555

1469-5944

Leif Hommen, David Doloreux, Emma Larsson,

Innovation and Knowledge Management

Abstract The development of science parks constitutes an interesting example of policy to enhance the technology-based development of a region. These parks, it is argued, contribute to fostering technological innovation and transfer and stimulating the growth of high-level economic activities. This article examines the role that science parks play in the promotion of regional development with particular reference to one of Sweden's most successful science parks, the Mjärdevi Science Park. During the 1990s, Mjärdevi was recognized as one of Northern Europe's most rapidly growing science parks, and it has an enviable record with respect to the launching of local, new technology-based firms. This article traces the historical events related to the creation of Mjärdevi Science Park that have influenced its technological and industrial development. It then outlines the park's path of development and subsequently addresses key factors affecting the growth dynamics of the park. Acknowledgements The comments and suggestions of two anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged. The usual disclaimers apply. Notes 1. This study is based upon recently completed research forming part of a larger project that investigated Mjärdevi and other selected European science parks as "local ICT growth poles". This project, conducted from 2002 to 2005, was titled "the Regional Impact of the Information Society on Employment and Integration" (RISESI), and funded by the European Community under the "Information Society Technology" Programme (IST–2001-33189). The research reports on which this study is based are available at: www.risesi.org. 2. One prominent Swedish example is the creation of Kista Science City (properly speaking, a science suburb) in the greater Stockholm area (Stockholm, Citation2000). 3. However, their survey results also suggested to these authors that science park location has a positive impact on firm growth as measured in terms of sales and jobs. See also Löfsten and Lindelöf (Citation2003, Citation2002), Lindelöf and Löfsten Citation(2003). 4. There are, however, some notable exceptions (e.g. Feldman, Citation2002). 5. In 2002/2003, the share of locally started NTBFs in the total population of firms in Mjärdevi was 40%, and the great majority of these firms had been university spin-offs, indicating that the proportion of such firms in Mjärdevi was well above the national average of 33% for Swedish science parks (Swedepark, 2003, cited in Lindholm-Dahlstrand, Citation2004, p. 15). At that time, Mjärdevi's record with regard to launching university-based NTBFs was clearly superior to Sweden's foremost science park, Kista Science City in Stockholm, and comparable to that of Ideon Science Park in Lund, the leading Swedish science park in this respect (Ahlbom, Citation2002; Bengtsson, Citation2003). In 2002, the MBI was awarded an international prize for "Best Science Based Incubator on Public Investment 2002" (Mjärdevi Business Incubator AB, Citation2005, The Incubator). 6. According to this calculation, the proportion of new jobs created by new firms amounted to 84.2%. 7. The table should be regarded as only a very preliminary account of the ICT firms in Mjärdevi. In addition to other possible accuracy and reliability problems, the classifications that are used to describe firms' activities or "areas of expertise" are rather general. Furthermore, it is sometimes difficult to classify firms based on their self-descriptions. Service firms, especially, tend to give rather ambiguous accounts of their business activity. 8. Linköping University is organized into three faculties: The Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Technology, and the Faculty of Health Sciences. The university has an annual income of roughly two billion Swedish crowns and a staff of 3200 including about 200 full professors, 1379 post-graduate research staff, and 20,000 students. It also has a reputation for being oriented principally towards engineering and health science, which is supported by the fact that the Faculty of Technology has annually received 49% of the total university funding and 51% of the research education training. (Edquist et al., Citation1998). 9. In the following discussion, certain "success" factors are dealt with in combination, rather than separately. Thus, "R&D Infrastructure and Skilled Labour" constitutes a single sub-heading, as does "Culture and Institutions". 10. However, according to the sources cited here, most of Linköping's public research institutes and government laboratories have strong formal linkages with Linköping University, several of them collaborate closely with one another, and the National Super-computer Centre and two defense-related research institutes have strong formal linkages with SAAB Aerospace. 11. As noted previously, other firms located in the science park were establishments of multinational corporations, Swedish national corporations, corporate spin-offs, and SMEs with no direct or indirect links to Linköping University. The total population of firms also included a number of companies providing services to the science park. 12. One of the responding firms was Ericsson AB, which, as noted previously, had until very recently accounted for over half of all employment in the science park. All of the five remaining firms had originated as local start-ups, although three of them had since evolved into multinational corporations. 13. In contrast, the corresponding figures for Kista Science City in Stockholm were 15.6% and 17.8% respectively, and for Cambridge they were 9.4% and 20.8%, respectively (Feldman & Associates, Citation2005, Table 11).