Do Firms Benefit from University Research? Evidence from Italy

Abstract

Abstract.The aim of this paper is to assess the effect on firm total factor productivity of the university research. Since the impact of universities on firms' performance is subtle and complex, we verify whether territorial context, sector and firm size may influence this relationship. Results show that university R&D does not seem to affect Italian firm productivity. However, if we consider geographical location and sector, we find that university activities have a positive effect on the performance of firms located in the North of Italy or operating in the specialised supplier sector. Several robustness checks confirm the significant role played by universities above all in the North of Italy. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Research, knowledge transfer, and innovation: The effect of Italian universities’ efficiency on local economic development 2006−2012

“…Third, the results support the need to take into account the presence of spatial dependence when explaining regional income per capita and development differences. In other words, proximity to a university leads to an expansion of the available knowledge base for firms and strengthens the university–industry partnership (Carboni, ; Cardamone, Pupo & Ricotta, ; Muscio, ). The importance of spatial effects gives credit to policy interventions and investments in tertiary education to the extent that the activities performed in such institutions foster economic competitiveness.…”

University Technology Transfer and Manufacturing Innovation: The Case of Italy

“…In addition, we have considered the proportion of professors and assistant professors in science and technology fields (S&T) in 2004 (share_ResST), the S&T graduates as a share of the graduates in all fields in 2004 (share_gradST), and the total 2004 spending on research by the university in the same province as the one the firm was located (R&D_UNI). These indicators are described in Cardamone, Pupo, and Ricotta () and are built by using individual university level data provided by National Agency for Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes and Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MIUR).…”