Does the location in a Science and Technology Park Influence University-Industry relationships? Evidence from a peripheral region

This article investigates the role of firm location and absorptive capacities in university industry interactions. The study observes firms in Science and Technology Parks (STPs) and other spaces of a regional innovation system. It focuses on the effects that location has in establishing diversified interactions, in comparison with other firm traits usually associated to drawing from universities. The empirical basis for the analysis is a face-to-farce survey to 737 firms in Andalusia. Descriptive analysis and regression models have been used in order to detect specific influences coming from the quality of the space and firm traits on five dimensions of university-industry interactions. The results show that being located in a STP has an influence only on developing informal contacts and human resources training. In contrast, other characteristics of both the location and the firm have an influence on using university services and engaging in R&D collaboration. The study provides evidence on the importance of certain qualities of space, including closeness to universities and existence of specialized institutions.