What are the benefits of cooperation and networking for the economic development of cities and metropolitan regions? Conference proceeding of the third “Halle Forum on Urban Economic Growth”
Christoph Hornych, Albrecht Kauffmann, M. Mühlberg, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 1,
2011
Abstract
Die Abteilung Stadtökonomik des IWH veranstaltete am 2. und 3. Dezember 2010 das dritte „Halle Forum on Urban Economic Growth“. Auf der im zweijährigen Turnus stattfindenden Konferenz werden Forschungsergebnisse zu wesentlichen Einflussfaktoren der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung von Städten präsentiert. Das dritte „Halle Forum“ widmete sich der Frage nach den Formen und Vorteilen von Kooperationen und Vernetzung für die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung von Städten und Metropolregionen. In den Vorträgen und Diskussionen wurden die Effekte und Determinanten von inter- und intraregionalen Kooperationen zum einen zwischen Unternehmen, zum anderen zwischen benachbarten Kommunen thematisiert. Ein besonderer Fokus lag dabei auf der Zusammenarbeit von Städten im Rahmen der Etablierung von Metropolregionen, mit denen die nationale und internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der betreffenden Städte verbessert werden soll.
Read article
Regional Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Biotech Industry: Exploring the Transition from Award-winning Nascent Entrepreneurs to Real Start-ups
H. Wolf, Claus Michelsen, Michael Schwartz
Abstract
Knowledge of factors that determine the transition from nascent entrepreneurship into real entrepreneurship is of major importance for policies aiming to effectively stimulate start-ups. Whereas scholars concentrated on person-specific factors to explain transition probabilities, environmental characteristics have been fairly neglected. Given that entrepreneurship is a strongly localized phenomenon, this paper argues that regional entrepreneurial opportunities are a driving force behind the transition from nascent entrepreneurship to new venture creation. Based on unique data on 103 nascent entrepreneurs in the German biotechnology industry, we empirically assess the importance of regional entrepreneurial opportunities on transition probabilities. Further, we introduce a new
approach to measure nascent entrepreneurship by capturing individuals that actively participate in start-up competitions and have won at least one competition. Controlling for technology and individual characteristics, we find strong support for our hypotheses relating to the significant impact of general regional opportunities, specific regional opportunities and the entrepreneurial environment for the probability of transition from award-winning nascent entrepreneurs to real start-ups.
Read article
Political Institutionalisation and Economic Specialisation in Polycentric Metropolitan Regions – The Case of the East German ‚Saxony Triangle‘
Peter Franz, Christoph Hornych
Urban Studies,
2010
Abstract
The rising focus of politicians as well as scientists in the EU on the large urban agglomerations as centres of economic growth is accompanied by political efforts to identify and to demarcate such agglomerations under the label ‘metropolitan regions’. This study develops a theoretical framework broaching the issue of cooperation between municipalities from the perspective of regional economics as well as political science. The framework is applied to the empirical case of the polycentric metropolitan region of the ‘Saxony triangle’ in east Germany. The results show that various intervening factors prevent intense co-operation between the actors in the region. Policy implications and conclusions for future research are discussed.
Read article
Analyzing Innovation Drivers in the German Laser Industry: the Role of Positioning in the Social and Geographical Space
Muhamed Kudic, Peter Bönisch, Iciar Dominguez Lacasa
Abstract
Empirical and theoretical contributions provide strong evidence that firm-level performance outcomes in terms of innovativeness can either be determined by the firm’s position in the social space (network effects) or by the firm’s position in the geographical space (co-location effects). Even though we can observe quite recently first attempts in bringing together these traditionally distinct research streams (Whittington et al. 2009), research on interdependent network and geographical co-location effects is still rare. Consequently, we seek to answer the following research question: considering that the effects of social and geographic proximity on firm’s innovativeness can be interdependent, what are the distinct and combined effects of firm’s network and geographic position on firm-level innovation output? We analyze the innovative performance of German laser source manufacturers between 1995 and 2007. We use an official database on publicly funded R&D collaboration projects in order to construct yearly networks and analyze firm’s network positions. Based on information on population entries and exits we calculate various types of geographical proximity measures between private sector and public research organizations (PRO). We use patent grants as dependent variable in order to measure firm-level innovation output. Empirical results provide evidence for distinct effect of network degree centrality. Distinct effect of firm’s geographical co-location to laser-related public research organization promotes patenting activity. Results on combined network and co-location effects confirms partially the existence of in-terdependent proximity effects, even though a closer look at these effects reveals some ambiguous but quite interesting findings.
Read article
How Does Industry Specialization Affect the Efficiency of Regional Innovation Systems?
Michael Fritsch, Viktor Slavtchev
Annals of Regional Science,
No. 1,
2010
Abstract
This study analyzes the relationship between the specialization of a region in certain industries and the efficiency of the region in generating new knowledge. The efficiency measure is constructed by relating regional R&D input and output. An inversely u-shaped relationship is found between regional specialization and R&D efficiency, indicating the presence of externalities of both Marshall and Jacobs’ type. Further factors influencing efficiency are externalities resulting from high R&D intensity of the local private sector as well as knowledge from local public research institutions. The impact of both the specialization and the additional factors is, however, different for regions at different efficiency levels.
Read article
Evaluierung des Programms des Sächsischen Staatsministeriums für Wissenschaft und Kunst (SMWK) zur Förderung von Projekten im Forschungsbereich
Jutta Günther, Iciar Dominguez Lacasa, Michael Fritsch, Nicole Nulsch, Viktor Slavtchev, Michael Schwartz, Mirko Titze, Katja Wilde
IWH-Sonderhefte,
No. 1,
2010
Abstract
Die vorliegende Studie des Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH) im Auftrag des Sächsischen Staatsministeriums für Wissenschaft und Kunst (SMWK) evaluiert das Programm „Förderung von Projekten im Forschungsbereich“ des Ministeriums. Das Programm richtet sich an Wissenschaftseinrichtungen in Sachsen. Es zielt auf die Stärkung der Spitzenforschung, der Profilbildung, der Drittmittelfähigkeit, der Internationalisierung sowie der Vernetzung der Wissenschaftseinrichtungen untereinander und mit der Wirtschaft. Gefördert werden grundlagenorientierte Projekte, Geräteausstattungen, Aufenthalte von Gastwissenschaftlern sowie wissenschaftliche Tagungen. Die Finanzierung des Programms erfolgt ausschließlich aus Landesmitteln.
Im Zeitraum 2002 bis 2008 wurden insgesamt 745 Vorhaben mit einem Gesamtvolumen von 20,51 Mio. Euro in 41 Wissenschaftseinrichtungen gefördert. Über 90% der Mittel entfielen auf die Fördergegenstände Projektförderung sowie Geräteausstattung. Befragt wurden 311 für die Fördervorhaben zuständige Wissenschaftler, von denen sich 69% an der Befragung beteiligten. Hinsichtlich der erreichten Effekte nannten die meisten Fördermittelempfänger die „Stärkung der Profilbildung“ (82%, über alle Förderlinien). Bei der Projektförderung sowie der Förderung der Geräteausstattung hoben die Befragten die hohe Wirkung auf die „Stärkung der Drittmittelfähigkeit“ hervor (über 90%). Damit wurden in der Einschätzung der Fördermittelempfänger wesentliche Zielvorgaben des Programms erreicht. Die Erhöhung der Verbundfähigkeit mit der Wirtschaft spielte aus Sicht der Befragten eine untergeordnete Rolle (54% Zustimmung). Der Grund für diesen relativ niedrigen Wert dürfte darin liegen, dass das Förderprogramm vor allem auf grundlagenorientierte Forschung abzielt. Die wissenschaftlichen Tagungen haben einen starken Effekt auf die Vernetzung der Wissenschaftseinrichtungen untereinander, insbesondere mit solchen im Ausland. Damit ist ein weiteres wesentliches Ziel des Programms erreicht worden.
Read article
Mutual Perception of Science and Industry in Innovation Networks – Evidence from East Germany
Jutta Günther, Cornelia Lang
D. Dyker (ed.), Network Dynamics in Emerging Regions of Europe, Imperial College Press,
2010
Abstract
The paper examines how science and industry perceive each other. Cooperation in the field of innovation and research and development has increased in recent years. But comprehensive empirical research on the mutual perception of science and industry is lacking so far. The article presents the results of explorative research based on a number of qualitative interviews with representatives from science and industry on that topic. The interviews were carried out in the Central German Region which is a centre of manufacturing industry especially of chemicals. So the two selected industries are chemical industry (high-tech based) and food processing (low-tech based). The paper provides remarks on the German innovation system. The empirical section summarizes the interview reports. We found only little evidence of conflict of interests between market-oriented industry and science organisations. Cooperation exists and works. The key issue is trust.
Read article
Going Public to Acquire? The Acquisition Motive in IPOs
Ugur Celikyurt, Merih Sevilir, Anil Shivdasani
Journal of Financial Economics,
No. 3,
2010
Abstract
Newly public firms make acquisitions at a torrid pace. Their large acquisition appetites reflect the concentration of initial public offerings (IPOs) in mergers and acquisitions-(M&A-) intensive industries, but acquisitions by IPO firms also outpace those by mature firms in the same industry. IPO firms' acquisition activity is fueled by the initial capital infusion at the IPO and through the creation of an acquisition currency used to raise capital for both cash- and stock-financed acquisitions along with debt issuance subsequent to the IPO. IPO firms play a bigger role in the M&A process by participating as acquirers than they do as takeover targets, and acquisitions are as important to their growth as research and development (R&D) and capital expenditures (CAPEX). The pattern of acquisitions following an IPO shapes the evolution of ownership structure of newly public firms.
Read article
