The role of intermediaries in solving system problems in regional innovation systems

Resumen

Competitiveness builds across the boundaries of Innovation System ¿s components, innovation-relevant organizations and entrepreneurs. Accordingly, the System Innovation stream of economics claims interaction to be a central feature of integrated systems. However, the latter characteristic does seldom occur automatically, denoting the existence of various problems that curtail development potentials. Importantly, problems constitute opportunities for the intermediary outlook. Intermediary organizations encompass an increasing role in overcoming them while they facilitate knowledge interchange among dissimilar organizations and institutions. Still, the literature does not adequately recognize the great influence intermediaries have on the connectivity of innovation environments. The dissertation produces a methodology set out to assess potential system problems as well as the association between these problems and the existence -or absence- of specialized intermediary organizations. First, we estimate integration by means of the assessment of four different system problems which have mainly been described in a theoretical fashion, although not yet systematic. We operationalize four sets of quantitative indicators which integrate in the interpretative framework of the dissertation. Consequently, the so-called ¿human resource gaps¿, ¿openness and learning gaps¿, ¿technological gaps¿ and ¿financial gaps¿ are identified within a logical examination. Second, leveraging on empirical evidence, the dissertation categorizes intermediaries according to the specific system problems they tap into. This clear-cut sorting produces ¿pairs¿ between system problems and intermediary categories, while it nurtures simplicity and precision in the functional and structural definition of the latter. We also operationalize four sets of quantitative indicators that permit the assessment of the relational density of the categories. Besides, the existence of commonalities in the purpose and activity performed by the categories suggests the possibility to arrange them in a common framework. These categories will also be aggregated in a new ¿Associative Component¿ which will be projected as a central ¿piloting- new subsystem of Innovation Systems. The empirical analyses are based on ad hoc data exploitations stemming from various surveys conducted by the Spanish Official Statistical Institute and the Spanish Venture Capital Association. First, we conduct a Multiple Factor Analysis to reduce dimensionality. Then, Cluster Analyses lead to the presentation of typologies. The first one sorts systems according to their level of integration. The second arranges them according to the relational density levels of their ¿Associative Components¿. Second, we conduct a Canonical Correlation Analysis to explore relationships among the outputs of the assessments. This calls into question a potential association between the density level of ¿Associative Components¿ and the integration of Regional Innovation Systems. As it will be explicated, the statistical output of the study has proven that the relational density of the ¿Associative Component¿ could be a valid predictor to explain integration across Spanish regions (i.e. Navarre, Basque Country, Catalonia or Madrid). On the other hand, we also find that inactive or inexistent ¿Associative Components¿ come together with disintegrated Regional Innovation Systems (i.e. Andalusia, Extremadura, Murcia).