Research activity and economic context: the case of Spanish public universities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/redc.2015.1.1135Keywords:
Dimensions of research activity, research and GDP, R&D and GDP in Spain, scientific activity and GDP, competitiveness and GDP, research training capacity and GDPAbstract
Universities’ R&D and innovation activity takes place within the economic and social context of a specific territory. This activity is multidimensional and its different dimensions may be unduly influenced by the economic context in which it is carried out. The present work analyses the research activity of Spanish public universities in the context of per capita GDP of their territories. The work examines data from 2002–2010 obtained from the IUNE observatory. The relationship between GDP and the different dimensions of research activity are analyzed: recognition, scientific activity, innovation, competitiveness and research training capacity. The results show that the economic context in which the activity takes place is not neutral and that there are significant correlations and linear relationships between per capita GDP and various dimensions of research activity. The significance is particularly notable once the dimensions are relativized according to the number of inhabitants. Statistically significant differences have also been found for different dimensions of research activity between universities located in territories with higher, or lower, per capita GDP.
Downloads
References
Acs, Z. J.; Anselin, L.;Varga, A. (1997). Local Geographic Spillovers between University Research and High Technology Innovations. Journal of Urban Economics, 42, 422-448. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/juec.1997.2032
Acs, Z. J.,;Anselin, L.; Varga, A. (2002). Patents and innovation counts as measures of regional production of new knowledge. Research Policy, vol. 31, 1069–1085. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(01)00184-6
Bordons, M; Sancho, R.; Morillo, F.; Gómez, I. (2010) Perfil de la actividad científica de las universidades espa-olas en cuatro áreas temáticas: un enfoque multifactorial. Revista Espa-ola de Documentación Científica, 33 (1), 9-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/redc.2010.1.718
ARWU, Academic Ranking of World Universities (2013). http://www.shanghairanking.com
Etzkowitz, H., & Leydesdorff, L. (1998). The endless transition: A ''triple helix'' of university–industry–government relations. Minerva vol.36, 203–208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1004348123030
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2012). Contabilidad Regional de Espa-a. www.ine.es.
Jaffe, A. B. (1989). Real effects of academic research. American Economic Review, 79 (5), 957–970.
Jöreskog, K.G.; Sörbom, D. (2006). Interactiva LISREL. Online Help File for LISREL 8.8 for Windows. Scientific Software International Inc.
Kim, Y.; Kim, W.; Yang, T. (2012). The effect of the triple helix system and habitat on regional entrepreneurship: Empirical evidence from the U.S.. Research Policy 41 (1) 154-166. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2011.08.003
King, D.A. (2004). The scientific impact of nations. Nature, vol. 430 (15), 311-316. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/430311a PMid:15254529
Li, F.;Yi, Y.; Guo, X.; Qi, W. (2012): Performance evaluation of research universities in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan: based on a two-dimensional approach. Scientometrics, 90:531–542. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0544-1
Lin, X.; Roberts, J. (2012): A stages approach to the internationalization of higher education? The entry of UK universities into China. The Service Industries Journal, vol. 32, (7), 1011–1038. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2012.662495
Lowry, R.C. (2001). Governmental Structure, Trustee Selection, and Public University Prices and Spending: Multiple Means to Similar Ends. American Journal of Political Science, 45 (4), 845-864. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2669328
Luque-Martínez, T. (2013). La actividad investigadora de la universidad espa-ola en la primera década del siglo XXI. Revista Espa-ola de Documentación Científica, 36 (4) octubre-diciembre. http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/redc.2013.4.1046
Luque-Martínez, T. (2012). Técnicas de análisis de datos en investigación de mercados. Pirámide. Madrid.
Luque-Martínez, T., Del Barrio-García, S., Aguayo Moral, J.M. (2009). Estudio del impacto económico de la Universidad de Granada en su entorno. Ed. Universidad de Granada. Granada (Espa-a).
Medina, F.; Galván, M. (2007). Imputación de datos: teoría y práctica. Estudios estadísticos y prospectiva. CEPAL Santiago de Chile.
NTU National Taiwan University Tanking (2013). http://nturanking.lis.ntu.edu.tw
OECD (2011). OCDE Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2011: Innovation and Growth in Knowledge Economies http://www.oecd.org/innovation/innovationinsciencetechnologyandindustry/oecdsciencetechnologyandindustryscoreboard2011innovationandgrowthinknowledgeeconomies.htm
Olssen, M.; Peters, M. (2005): Neoliberalism, higher education and the knowledge economy: from the free market to knowledge capitalism. Journal of Education Policy, vol. 20, (3), 313–345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02680930500108718
RIS 3 (2013). Guide to Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS 3) 2013. http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=e50397e3-f2b1-4086-8608-7b86e69e8553
Sanz-Casado. E. (2012). Lanzamiento del Observatorio IUNE, una herramienta para el seguimiento de la actividad científica de las universidades espa-olas. Revista Espa-ola de Documentación Científica, vol. 35 (3), 503-505, 2012. ISSN: 0210-0614.
Sanz-Casado, E.; García-Zorita, C; Serrano-López, A.E.; Efraín-García. P.; De Filippo, D. (2013). Rankings nacionales elaborados a partir de múltiples indicadores frente a los de índices sintéticos. Revista Espa-ola de Documentación Científica, vol. 36 (3), 1-18.
Siedschlag, I.; Smith, D.; Turcu, C.; Zhang, X. (2013). What determines the location choice of R&D activities by multinational firms? Research Policy 42 (8) 1420-1430. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.06.003
Smilor, R. W.; Dietrich, G. B.; Gibson, D. V. (1993). The entrepreneurial university-the role of higher-education in the United-States in technology commercialization and economic-development. International Social Science Journal, 45(1), 1-11.
Stiglitz, J.E.; Sen, A.; Fitoussi, J.P. (2013). Medir nuestras vidas. Las limitaciones del PIB como indicador de progreso. Ed. RBC.
Sun, Y.; Liu, F. (2012) Measuring international trade-related technology spillover: a composite approach of network analysis and information theory. Scientometrics.
Tijssen, R.J.W. (2004). Is the commercialisation of scientific research affecting the production of public knowledge? Global trends in the output of corporate research articles. Research Policy 33, 709–733. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2003.11.002
THE, Times Higher Education (2013). http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings
Vincett, P.S. (2010) The economic impacts of academic spin-off companies, and their implications for public policy. Research Policy 39 (6) 737-747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.02.001
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2015 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the print and online versions of this journal are the property of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.
All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. You may read the basic information and the legal text of the licence. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 licence must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the final version of the work produced by the publisher, is not allowed.
