Public Business Services of Technology Parks in Rural Areas

The aim of this study is to describe the public business services of technology parks for technology intensive SMEs in rural areas. This study is part of a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The technology parks in rural areas are facing context specific challenges as they provide services for their customers. Research problem of this study can be condensed into the following research questions: How are the public business services organised by technology parks in the rural area of Oulu South? What kind of business services do technology parks provide for early-stage technology intensive companies in sparsely populated areas? The research questions are analysed by analysing and comparing the supply of services of the three subregional technology parks. As a result of this multiple case study, the services for early-stage technology intensive SMEs and the practises of the rural context are clarified.