Universities and Innovation in Space
Michael Fritsch, Viktor Slavtchev
Industry and Innovation,
No. 2,
2007
Abstract
We investigate the role of universities as a knowledge source for regional innovation processes. The contribution of universities is tested on the level of German NUTS‐3 regions (Kreise) by using a variety of indicators. We find that the intensity and quality of the research conducted by the universities have a significant effect on regional innovative output while pure size is unimportant. Therefore, a policy that wants to promote regional innovation processes by building up universities should place substantial emphasis on the intensity and quality of the research conducted there. We also find the effects of universities to be concentrated in space. Obviously, the geographical proximity to particular knowledge sources is important for regional innovative activities.
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Economic 'Clusters' in East Germany: Evidence on the Location and the Characteristics of Spatially Concentrated Industries
Martin T. W. Rosenfeld, Peter Franz, Gerhard Heimpold
Post-Communist Economies,
No. 1,
2007
Abstract
The contribution provides empirical findings, which regions in East Germany show spatially concentrated industries possessing ”cluster” qualities. The latter are regarded as being existent if spatially concentrated industries coincide with networking activities and innovative competences. The findings reveal that spatially concentrated industries possessing the qualities sketched are relatively rare, and they are, if existent, primarily located in the East German agglomerated spaces. This in mind, the article draws the conclusion, that spreading regional policy schemes by the “watering can principle” should be avoided. Instead, the resources should be concentrated on locations where spatially concentrated industries are existent. Networks and innovative competences should be strengthened there.
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Alterung und technologisches Innovationspotential : Eine Linked-Employer-Employee-Analyse
Lutz Schneider
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 2,
2007
Abstract
Growth in advanced economies is essentially driven by innovation activities. From a demographic point of view the question rises, whether the trend of an ageing workforce will affect the innovation capacities of these economies. To answer this question, the paper examines on the basis of a German linked-employer-employee-dataset, whether an older workforce lowers a firm’s potential to generate product innovations. The empirical approach is based on an Ordered-logit regression model, relating a firm’s innovation potential to the age composition of its employees. The analysis provides evidence of significant age effects. The estimated age-innovation-profile follows an inverted-ushaped pattern, it peaks at the age of about 40 years. A separate estimation shows, that the technician’s and engineer’s age seems to be particularly relevant.
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Repercusiones de la integración y consolidación de los sectores bancarios europeos sobre la innovación y las actividades de los emprendedores
Hans Degryse, Steven Ongena, Maria Fabiana Penas
Papeles de Economía Española,
No. 110,
2006
Abstract
We investigate whether the agenda of deepening the integration of the European financial sector may hurt innovation and growth in Europe. In particular we highlight the problems financial integration may create for breakthrough innovation. Financial integration, by escalating competition and consolidation in the European banking sector, may jeopardize the funding of radical innovators. However weighing the current evidence we conclude these problems may at most be transitory.
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Gleichwertige Lebensverhältnisse: Eine wichtige gesellschaftspolitische Aufgabe neu interpretieren!
Jürgen Aring, Hans H. Blotevogel, Michael Bräuer, Rainer Danielzyk, Hans-Peter Gatzweiler, Ulf Hahne, Heinrich Mäding, Petra Ilona Schmidt, Josef Stegt, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Positionspapier aus der Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung [ARL], Nr. 69,
2006
Abstract
In der politischen Diskussion über Wachstums- und Ausgleichspolitik werden häufig Forderungen nach einer Aufgabe des Prinzips "gleichwertiger Lebensverhältnisse" laut. In dieser Debatte wird vielfach einseitig pro und contra argumentiert. In dem Papier wird die Auffassung vertreten, daß das Prinzip zwar ein zentrales gesellschaftspolitisches Anliegen bleiben, aber vor dem Hintergrund gewandelter Rahmenbedingungen und zunehmender regionaler Disparitäten in Deutschland neu interpretiert werden sollte. Nach Auffassung der Autoren sind Gleichwertigkeit und Diversität keine Gegensätze. Im einzelnen werden Vorschläge für eine Neujustierung der Ziele und Instrumente im Rahmen dreier wichtiger Handlungsfelder entwickelt. Für den Finanzausgleich zwischen Bund, Ländern und Kommunen wird ein Abbau der rein kompensatorischen Transfers zugunsten aktivierender Elemente und der Förderung von Kooperationen vorgeschlagen. Hinsichtlich der Regionalpolitik sollten zwar weiterhin die strukturschwachen Regionen im Vordergrund stehen, aber dort sollte es zu Schwerpunktsetzungen zugunsten leistungsfähiger Zentren der Wirtschaftstätigkeit kommen. Für die Raumordnungspolitik werden u. a. kreative und innovative Lösungen für Leistungen der regionalen und lokalen Daseinsvorsorge angeregt.
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Where are the economic development cores of East Germany? Results of a survey of the focuses of branches, enterprise networks and innovative competence fields in the East German Regions
Peter Franz, Gerhard Heimpold, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Regionale Strukturpolitik - quo vadis?, Informationen zur Raumentwicklung, Heft 9,
No. 9,
2006
Abstract
The contribution presents the results of an empirical study conducted by the Halle Institute for Economic Research on behalf of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning. The study concerns the identification of “regional clusters” for all spatial planning regions in East Germany. As criteria to identify clusters, three components were taken into consideration: spatially concentrated industries, enterprise networks and innovative competence fields, whereas, for the purpose of identifying “clusters”, the networks and innovative competences have to show a co-incidence with the industry which is spatially concentrated. Cases of co-incidence of all three elements were categorised as economic development cores (or spots), i. e. as forms of spatially concentrated economic activities which show cluster-relevant qualities. For regions which possess economic development spots, the growth perspectives can be expected as more favourable in comparison with other regions. The findings show a particularly high concentration of economic development spots in the Berlin region as well as in the Federal States of Saxony and Thuringia, where the cities of Dresden, Leipzig, Erfurt and Chemnitz form delineating points within which a particularly high number of economic development spots are existent. As a consequence, the study might initiate a debate in favour of a stronger spatial concentration of regional policy measures instead of spreading the resources by “watering can principle”.
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Economic development cores in East German regions: branch concentrations, company networks and innovative fields of competence of the economy
Martin T. W. Rosenfeld, Peter Franz, Jutta Günther, Gerhard Heimpold, Franz Kronthaler
IWH-Sonderhefte,
No. 5,
2006
Abstract
Der Begriff „Cluster“ ist in jüngster Zeit für die Akteure der Raumentwicklungspolitik auf allen Ebenen des Staates fast zu einer Art Zauberformel zur Beschwörung der Kräfte des regionalen Wirtschaftswachstums geworden. Die Sache hat allerdings mindestens zwei Haken: erstens hat jeder Akteur seine eigene Auffassung von dem, was unter Clustern zu verstehen ist; zweitens besteht ebenfalls keine Einigkeit darüber, mit welchen Strategien die vorhandenen Cluster unterstützt oder neue Cluster entwickelt werden sollten.
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Patents and technology transfer from universities - a literature review
Sidonia vonLedebur
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 9,
2006
Abstract
Knowledge and technologies produced at universities have to be transferred to industry for being used. In Germany the professor's privilege (of self-commercializing an invention) was abolished in 2002 in order to enhance academic patents. Additionally, regional licensing offices (“Patentverwertungsagenturen“) were established for finding companies that license academic patents. But this channel of technology represents only one of several possibilities. The article presents a survey of papers in the field of technology transfer and gives policy recommendations deduced from them. The two main points are: patent licensing offices in Germany are unnecessary narrowly focused institutions. They need to be expanded into broad service institutions for all kinds of technology transfer. And it is unrealistic to earn money for the universities with them - even though some will do - and the state has to finance them permanently, if technology transfer is a policy aim.
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Innovative Kompetenzfelder, Produktionsnetzwerke und Branchenschwerpunkte der ostdeutschen Wirtschaft. Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung des IWH im Auftrag des Bundesamtes für Bauwesen und Raumordnung
Peter Franz, Gerhard Heimpold, Franz Kronthaler, Rupert Kawka, Jutta Günther, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
One-off Publications,
No. 2,
2004
Abstract
n zahlreichen ostdeutschen Regionen existieren inzwischen deutlich ausgeprägte Branchenschwerpunkte mit im ostdeutschen Vergleich hoher Beschäftigung. So weisen vor allem die Wirtschaftszweige in den Bereichen Finanzierung, Vermietung und Unternehmensdienstleistungen eine hohe regionale Konzentration auf. Aber auch in den Bereichen Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Handel, Gastgewerbe und Verkehr sowie bei öffentlichen und privaten Dienstleistern ist in einigen Teilbereichen eine regionale Konzentration feststellbar. Ein Vergleich zwischen den neuen und alten Bundesländern zeigt, dass die Anteile der Beschäftigten in den Branchen des Produzierenden Gewerbes Ostdeutschlands zumeist deutlich unter den entsprechenden Werten im Westen liegen und die ostdeutschen Branchenschwerpunkte mithin noch vergleichsweise schwach ausgeprägt sind.
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Longterm development of return on assets – an empirical panel data analysis
Olaf Neubert
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 5,
2006
Abstract
One of the basic propositions of economic theory is the fact that competition does not allow permanent very high or very low returns. But how can the permanent surplus gain of a monopolist be distinguished from innovation gains? In which markets is a regulatory interference necessary? Contrary to the static analysis, the concept of dynamic competition explicitly considers the temporal development of return and gain. An entrepreneur can achieve an advantage over the competitors through new products or new production processes. Hence arising innovation gains function as incentives for imitators to join the development which in turn leads to a reduction of the surplus gains. Thus, these gains are not contradictory to an effective competition. On the basis of annual balance sheets of German firms, this article analyses the temporal development of returns on assets. It is to evaluate whether the adaptation process assumed by Schumpeter that matches very high and very low gains with a longterm level can be confirmed, and how fast this process works. The average industry returns of the manufacturing industry show a convergence to a longterm level. During this process, an average of 40% of the deviation from the longterm level are melted every year. However, the analysis of company returns shows longterm differences. The adaptation rate of companies, 50%, is significantly higher compared to the industry value. The analysis of the connection between the adaptation rate and the longterm return level of companies proves that companies which face above-average competition strength obtain a higher longterm return level than other companies. When firms operate within markets with high stress of competition they do not achieve below-average returns but rather significantly above-average returns in the long term.
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