"Science Park or Innovation Cluster?" Similarities and differences in physical and virtual firms' agglomeration phenomena"

Elisa Salvador (1) , Ilaria Mariotti (2) , Fabrizio Conicella

1 ESSCA - Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers
2 Polytechnic University of Milan

Purpose The paper focuses on the science park “physical” location and the innovation cluster “virtual” location, and aims at investigating: (i) the motivations driving firms to settle in these two agglomerations; (ii) the main problems firms, belonging to the two structures, face in their growth process; (iii) similarities and differences between a “physical” and a “virtual” location; (iv) which forms of proximity (geographical, relational, social, cognitive, organizational, and institutional) play a role within the science park and the innovation cluster. Design/Methodology/Approach A literature review on proximity is followed by an investigation of the Bioindustry Park and the innovation cluster BioPmed in Piedmont region in Italy, through a structured questionnaire, sent between February and March 2002, to firms co-located in the park and/or member of the cluster. Findings From the analysis did emerge that the physical location in the park and the virtual location in the cluster might be complements rather than substitutes. Research limitations/implications Shortcomings like the limited number of companies interviewed, and the absence of a sample of companies exclusively co-located in the park, are observable. Additional research might corroborate the results, which are specifically valid for the two case studies. Practical implications The idea of understanding differences and similarities between the science park and the innovation cluster, and of investigating which proximity typologies play a role in a “physical” and in a “virtual” location, may be useful to design future policy strategies. Originality/Value The originality of this paper is given by the analysis of a new phenomenon: physical and virtual agglomeration typologies, characterized by several forms of proximity enhancing knowledge diffusion.

Domaines: Gestion et management

Elisa Salvador, Ilaria Mariotti, Fabrizio Conicella. "Science Park or Innovation Cluster?" Similarities and differences in physical and virtual firms' agglomeration phenomena". International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 2013, 19 (6). ⟨hal-02273841⟩