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Why do firms collaborate with local universities?

2018; Routledge; Volume: 52; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00343404.2017.1413237

1360-0591

Rune Dahl Fitjar, Martin Gjelsvik,

Intellectual Capital and Performance Analysis

This paper examines why firms sometimes collaborate locally rather than with higher-quality universities at a distance. Existing research has mostly relied on the localized knowledge spillover (LKS) model to explain this. This model holds that knowledge transfer across distance is costly, and collaborating locally reduces the risk of information loss when the knowledge is transferred. However, there are various other reasons that could also explain the pattern. If the local university can make a useful contribution, firms might choose to look no further. Firms may also see collaboration as a long-term investment, helping to build research quality at the local university with the hope of benefiting in future. Finally, firms may want to contribute to the local community. We extend the LKS model with these additional motivations and explore their validity using data from 23 semi-structured interviews of firms that collaborate intensively with lower-tier local universities.