STPs and AOIs as Knowledge Hubs: Balancing Innovation and Business Development

In response to dealing with the challenge of conflicting interests among academia, business and the marketplace, we introduce the notion of STPs and AIs taking on the role of knowledge hubs, enabling the flow of knowledge across these three communities. We start by looking at the typical startup company and how knowledge flows break down as the company expands. Next we examine a case history of a world trade center that has evolved into a knowledge hub, and show how an STP/AI can use the same approach to deliver a variety of high-value tenant services. We expand the concept to a network of knowledge hubs connecting STP/AI tenants with world trade centers, academic and research institutions, government agencies and other knowledge sources. Finally, we show how knowledge hubs will play a critical role as we continue the transition to a global knowledge economy.