Micro Agglomerations of Technology: A Typology of Ownership & the Implications for Success.

Technology agglomeration manifests itself as clusters on national and sub-national (regional) geographical scales and as science and technology parks (STPs) on local geographical scales, (Porter 1996, 1998, Castells and Hall 1994). Whether manifested nationally, regionally or locally, technology agglomeration suffers from a distinct lack of unifying criteria, which hinders conceptual development and new knowledge (Martin and Sunley 2001, Antiroikko 2004, Phan et al, 2005). The literature lacks consensus on definitions and classification and studies lack methodological inventiveness, which frustrates meaning and the development of new knowledge, particularly with regard to what may constitute and drive success in agglomerations. This paper presents a typology of ownership for STPs and argues that ownership models have implications for how STPs are governed, managed and operated, and ultimately for the success of properties. The paper offers a conceptual framework for assessing success and builds a case for a unifying definition for local technology agglomerations.