Spatial Proximity as a Determinant of Cooperation between Universities and Services Sector Enterprises – an Empirical Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24917/20801653.341.4Keywords:
geographical proximity, relations, service companies, university-industry cooperationAbstract
The problem of factors determining university-industry cooperation is becoming more and more popular. This is due to the fact that, on the one hand, there are high expectations related to the effects of cooperation, e.g. in the form of increased innovation and because, especially in service enterprises, the scope of cooperation is still limited. Spatial proximity is perceived as an important factor in establishing and maintaining cooperation. Due to personal contacts and effective communication based on trust, short spatial distance facilitates the transfer of complex and non-codified academic knowledge. The article aims to identify the role of spatial proximity as a determinant of university-industry cooperation. To achieve this goal, an empirical survey on a sample of 383 randomly selected enterprises was conducted. The results indicate that the relation between spatial proximity and the scale and intensity of cooperation is ambiguous. Enterprises located the closest and the furthest from academic centers cooperate with universities the most frequently. Spatial proximity is also conducive to the intensification of cooperation. The paper broadens the understanding of spatial proximity as the determinant of cooperation, by including in the analysis not only the direct influence of distance on cooperation but also by identifying spatial differentiation of channels, motives, and effects of entrepreneurs’ involvement in cooperation with universities.
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