There is a tendency to think in primarily economic terms and the role of science parks (e.g., economic and financial opportunities) when considering how major science, technology, and business spaces, also known as science parks attract international knowledge migrants (IKMs) from the global knowledge economy.

 

However, other elements that make places attractive for IKMs to achieve desirable standards of living are often not sufficiently addressed in the recent literature.

 

The establishment of Science and Technology Parks (STPs) was inspired by the idea of creating an optimal environment and ideal ecosystem for the establishment and growth of businesses, technologies, and innovations through providing a physical environment in proximity to other relevant institutions and delivering relevant support services within one convenient location. Such an environment is found to support collaboration and idea-sharing between startups, SMEs, and science communities. 

 

Through examining different available definitions, the following generic themes are common in almost all of them:

 

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  Supporting local or regional economic development
  
   

  
  


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  Providing space and other support services
  
   

  
  


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  Promoting innovation and competitiveness of clients
  
   

  
  


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  Working with the knowledge base
  
   

  
  


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  Facilitating investments of knowledge-based businesses
  
   

  
  


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  Showcasing cluster developments
  
   

  
  


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  Incubating start- activities
  
   

  
  


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  Providing an environment that encourages networking and exchanging of ideas 

  
  

Functional effect and regional upgrading effect

In 1961, the Dutch national government established the UT as a third technical university in the Netherlands between the two cities Hengelo and Enschede on the former country estate Drienerlo. 

 

Its aim was to support both the regional and the national economy by increasing the number of highly skilled engineers (creator C2). To enhance interaction among actors within the university campus, architects divided it into three clearly separated functional areas that provide a mixture of teaching, studying, residential and recreational facilities, combined with open spaces embellished with public art.

External recognition effect and personal attraction effect

Initially, the Novel-T project received much external recognition, reflected in subsidies from Dutch companies and the national government. 

 

However, this picture changed during the first decade of the 20th century with the rapid increase of science parks at both national and international levels. As a reaction, the UT’s creators established a more innovative-driven entrepreneurial profile aiming to combine academic excellence with an entrepreneurial spirit that supports innovative start-ups and existing businesses in Novel-T with knowledge generation at the UT. 

 

To establish a globally recognized name that attracts more global talent and research foreign direct investment (FDI), creators increasingly strove to make new international contacts and partnerships.

Physical infrastructure

Physical infrastructure is an essential element for STP tenants. Historically, the ‘science parks’’ definition was limited to the real estate aspect, where universities would lease office space, real estate facilities, research labs to external businesses. 

 

Today, this is called ‘industrial estates’, while the term STP includes a much broad scope of services. This, however, does not undermine the importance of the basic infrastructure such as buildings, meeting rooms, utilities, laboratories, etc. 

Protection of intellectual property

The intellectual property created by academic center employees is owned by centers, and always has opportunities for commercialization. 

 

STPs may assist in this commercialization through different routes: licensing, revenue sharing, spin-offs, or through the formation of a venture company. In all circumstances, compensation is made to the original inventors.

Key takeaway

As countries, regions, and cities invest more to create STPs as a means to accelerate the technological and economic transition, the task of measuring the contribution of STPs becomes more relevant and important.

 

The contribution of this case study to the regional science literature is twofold. Firstly, the results show that more attention needs to be paid to the internal, place-related social (non-economic) dimensions of science parks, since science parks also seem to attract IKMs due to intangible assets, e.g. based on their unique, place-related identity.