UNIVERSITY INNOVATION CENTERS AS CATALYSTS OF REGIONAL INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54899/dcs.v22i85.3856Palavras-chave:
Academic Entrepreneurship, Knowledge Transfer, University Governance, Regional Development, SustainabilityResumo
University Innovation Centers have emerged as strategic structures for strengthening regional innovation ecosystems by bridging universities, firms, governments, and society. Nevertheless, their full integration into these ecosystems remains limited due to institutional, cultural, and territorial constraints. This study aims to analyze the relevance of University Innovation Centers through a systematic literature review, identifying theoretical evidence of their importance and proposing a multidimensional synthesis of their roles and contributions. The research employed a structured systematic review organized into three thematic axes: university innovation centers, innovation ecosystems, and university, industry and society collaboration. The search was conducted in the Scopus database, considering publications in English between 2005 and 2025. From 1,100 initial studies, the 30 most cited and the 30 most recent articles from each axis were selected, enabling the integration of both classical works and emerging trends. These studies were examined in detail to extract elements that could inform the present analysis. The results reveal sixteen factors that demonstrate the relevance of University Innovation Centers, grouped into five analytical dimensions: Institutional and Governance; Relational and Collaborative; Territorial and Regional Development; Scientific, Technological and Innovation; and Strategic and Systemic Integration. These dimensions highlight the role of such centers in knowledge transfer, the promotion of academic entrepreneurship, the strengthening of collaborative networks, the reduction of regional asymmetries, and the enhancement of institutional resilience and internationalization. Persistent challenges include bureaucratic constraints, limited governance structures, and weak collaborative cultures. The study concludes that University Innovation Centers possess strong potential to energize regional innovation ecosystems. By systematizing dispersed evidence and proposing a multidimensional perspective, this research contributes to managers, scholars, and policymakers dedicated to fostering scientific and regional development.
Downloads
Referências
Abramovsky, L., & Simpson, H. (2008). Geographic proximity and firm–university innovation linkages: Evidence from the UK. Journal of Economic Geography, 8(1), 105–126.
Abreu, M., & Grinevich, V. (2013). The nature of academic entrepreneurship in the UK: Widening the focus on entrepreneurial activities. Research Policy, 42(2), 408–422.
Addie, J.-P. D., Keil, R., & MacLeod, G. (2018). Global suburbanisms and the transformation of the city. Urban Studies, 55(1), 3–32.
Al Kharusi, S., & Al Kindi, M. (2018). The university innovation model in a unique environment. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 17(3), 362–375.
Amann, J., Blomqvist, K., & Kulatunga, U. (2022). Universities and collaborative innovation: Overcoming cultural barriers. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 179, 121627.
Ankrah, S., & Al-Tabbaa, O. (2015). Universities–industry collaboration: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 31(3), 387–408.
Asgari, A., Khorsandi Taskoh, A., & Ghiasi Nodooshan, S. (2023). A framework to create a university-based innovation district under anchor approach. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 4(3), 29–51.
Balle, A. R., Oliveira, L. G. S., & Gonçalves, A. S. (2019). Innovation hubs and collaborative networks: A systematic review. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 5(3), 59.
Bellavista, J., & Sanz, L. (2009). Science and technology parks: Habitats of innovation. International Journal of Technology Management, 45(3), 187–199.
Blazquez, D., Biffi, A., & Aguado, R. (2025). Universities and sustainable development: Aligning strategies with SDGs. Sustainability, 17(4), 2156.
Bolliger, R. D., Fischer, B. B., de Faria, A. F., de Amaral, M. G., & Serafim, M. P. (2024). Heterogeneous profiles and trajectories of science and technology parks: Evidence from Brazil. The Journal of Technology Transfer.
Chen, X., et al. (2024). University innovation and socio-territorial development. Technovation, 129, 102755.
Clarysse, B., Tartari, V., & Salter, A. (2011). The impact of entrepreneurial capacity, experience and organizational support on academic entrepreneurship. Research Policy, 40(8), 1084–1093.
Davoudi, S., et al. (2018). Open innovation and collaborative dynamics in universities. Technovation, 75(2), 1–12.
Díez-Vial, I., Fernández-Olmos, M., & Martínez-Ros, E. (2015). University–industry collaboration and innovation spillovers. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 90, 192–203.
Fartash, K., Davoudi, S. M. M., & Haghighi, M. (2018). Open innovation and internationalization in university-based research centers. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 9(1), 1–19.
Frenken, K., van Oort, F., & Ponds, R. (2010). The geography of innovation: Local networks, knowledge spillovers and regional innovation systems. Journal of Economic Geography, 10(2), 295–309.
Gao, J., Li, Y., & Wang, H. (2023). Universities as agents of social and technological development. Higher Education Policy, 36(2), 215–233.
Grimaldi, R., et al. (2011). 30 years after Bayh–Dole: Reassessing academic entrepreneurship. Research Policy, 40(8), 1045–1057.
Gueguen, G., & Delanoe-Gueguen, S. (2021). University–industry collaborations and the role of technology transfer offices. R&D Management, 51(4), 454–467.
Gulbranson, C. A., & Audretsch, D. B. (2008). Proof of concept centers: Accelerating the commercialization of university innovation. Journal of Technology Transfer, 33(3), 249–258.
Hausman, N. (2022). University–industry collaboration and the geography of innovation. Regional Studies, 56(3), 459–473.
Hayter, C. S., Nelson, A. J., Zayed, S., & O’Connor, A. C. (2018). Conceptualizing academic entrepreneurship ecosystems: A review, analysis and extension of the literature. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 43(4), 1039–1082.
Hobbs, K. G., Link, A. N., & Scott, J. T. (2016). Science and technology parks: An annotated and analytical literature review. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 42, 957–976.
Hooli, L., Nkonoki, E., & Leppänen, V. (2024). Inclusive innovation processes in Tanzania: From national policies to local practices in innovation hubs. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 16(7), 940–952.
Kitchenham, B. (2004). Procedures for performing systematic reviews (Technical Report TR/SE-0401). Keele University.
Link, A. N., & Sarala, R. M. (2019). Advancing the theory of entrepreneurial universities: An integrative framework. Journal of Technology Transfer, 44(3), 615–636.
Martín-de Castro, G., et al. (2011). Knowledge spillovers and innovation. Industrial and Corporate Change, 20(6), 1639–1667.
McAdam, M., Galbraith, B., McAdam, R., & Humphreys, P. (2005). Business processes and networks in university incubators: A review and research agendas. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 18(5), 451–472.
Medina-Tabares, M., et al. (2025). Together in front of the mirror: Collective reflexivity as a portraying tool of responsible research and innovation in a French university innovation space. IEEE Engineering Management Review.
Mehtälä, M., Lehtimäki, T., & Komulainen, H. (2025). Commercialising science-based sustainable innovations: Extending the role of university–industry collaboration. International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 19(2).
Miller, K., Cunningham, J., & Lehmann, E. (2021). Extending the university mission and business model: Influences and implications. Studies in Higher Education, 46(5), 915–925.
Nnanna, J., Charles, M. B., Noble, D., & Keast, R. (2024). Innovation hubs in Australian public institutions: An exploratory study of their resilience in a time of disruption. Industry and Higher Education, 38(4), 312–324.
Petruzzelli, A. M. (2011). The impact of technological relatedness, prior ties, and geographical distance on university–industry collaborations. Research Policy, 40(6), 831–842.
Rajalo, S., & Vadi, M. (2017). University–industry innovation collaboration: Reconceptualization. Technovation, 62, 42–54.
Shakirova, D., Ivanova, E., Abaidilda, A. Y., & Maidyrova, A. B. (2019). Management of university innovation potential in the modern reality of Kazakhstan. International Journal on Emerging Technologies, 10(2a), 141–144.
Smith, H. L. (2007). Universities, innovation, and territorial development: A review of the evidence. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 25(1), 98–114.
Steruska, S., Simkova, A., & Pitner, T. (2019). Innovation intermediaries in Central Europe. European Planning Studies, 27(3), 589–607.
Tseng, F.-C., Huang, M.-H., & Chen, D.-Z. (2020). Factors of university–industry collaboration affecting university innovation performance. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 45, 560–577.
Tsiouris, N. (2025). An alternative approach to science and technology parks. Postdigital Science and Education, 7(3), 464–479.
Ugnich, E., et al. (2016). University innovation ecosystem as a mechanism of innovation process development. Social Sciences, 11(20), 3479–3483.
Vásquez-Urriago, A., Buey, M., & Moreno, A. (2014). Science and technology parks and university–industry collaboration: Evidence from Spain. Journal of Business Research, 67(10), 2026–2031.
Wu, L., Feng, L., & Yan, J. (2022). Research on the university innovation and entrepreneurship resource database system based on SSH2. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2022, 1168796.
Xu, H., Ye, X.-Y., & Zhang, W. (2025). Index evaluation and application of green innovation ability in the Pearl River Delta science and technology park. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 7(3), 286–305.
Yassine, M., Al-Saleh, Y., & Khan, Z. (2025). University innovation ecosystems in developing countries. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 182, 121802.
Yeo, B. (2018). Societal impact of university innovation. Management Research Review, 41(11), 1309–1335.
Yi, W., & Long, C. X. (2021). Does the Chinese version of Bayh–Dole Act promote university innovation? China Economic Quarterly International, 1, 244–257.
Yildirim, N., Ozkaya, A., & Demir, E. (2022). University innovation policies and technology transfer performance. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 34(7), 785–799.
Youtie, J., & Shapira, P. (2008). Building an innovation hub: A case study of the transformation of university roles in regional technological and economic development. Research Policy, 37(8), 1188–1204.
Zaidan, T., Ali, S., & Mourad, A. (2024). Innovation, SDGs and university ecosystems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 412, 137012.
Zhong, Z., Zheng, G., & Wang, Y. (2023). Impact of transnational research collaboration on universities’ innovation performance: Panel data research of 64 Chinese universities from 2009 to 2019. Sustainability, 15(1), 83.
Downloads
Publicado
Como Citar
Edição
Seção
Licença
Copyright (c) 2025 Revista DCS
Este trabalho está licenciado sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
