The authors assess policies and strategies aimed at fostering the various types of innovation (organizational, infrastructural, technological) that are essential today for competitive success and local/regional economic prosperity. Central to the processes of innovation, and the consequent establishment of business ecosystems, is the encouragement of cooperation and competition between research and development activities in universities and companies. This paper examines some of the methods by which this maybe achieved, highlighting the need to distinguish between the functions of ‘research’ and ‘development’ and the increasingly significant role of university—industry companies.
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Institutions which inform a TEI include: (1) universities, other HEIs and research institutions; (2) public and private local/regional development agencies; (3) local/regional public authorities; (4) the business community, the chambers of commerce, industrial associations, financial institutions, companies and networks of companies (business ecosystems).
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What is commercialized is technology or a particular kind of knowledge, precursor to technology.
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