Innovative Links between Industry and Research Institutes — How Important Are They for Firm Start Ups in the Metropolitan Regions of Barcelona, Vienna and Stockholm?

Abstract

Current discussions often describe young companies as innovative, expanding, and having a positive impact on employment. Their tendency to co-operate is strongly emphasised. Numerous regional-political measures on a local, national, and supranational level attempt the inter-connection of local actors, while the main interest is focused especially on young companies and research institutes. Theoretical arguments furnish many concepts such as the knowledge based economy, the learning economy or the learning region, network approaches, spill-over approaches, etc. (Florida 1995; Mansfield/Lee 1996; Charles/Goddard 1997; Malmberg/Maskell 1995; Tödtling 1994). In simple terms, the argumentation is the following: due to growing competitive pressure, industry, and in particular young companies are forced to bring innovative products onto the market. The increasing complexity of the innovation process leads to increased co-operation with innovation-relevant actors such as customers, suppliers, service companies in close co-operation with industry, competitors, and research institutions.