The role of universities in regional innovation system development : an analysis of government policy and university-industry cooperative relationships in South Korea.

摘要

This thesis is a theoretically grounded empirical study aimed at shedding light on theuddynamic interactions of universities with government and industry in response touduniversity-industry cooperation policy in South Korea. It questions the loosely-basedudassumptions found in current literature relating to the role of universities in theirudengagement in regional innovative development, that universities may engageudactively in localised interactive processes. This study uses the concept of RISud(Regional Innovation'System) as a conceptual framework to explore the relationshipsudbetween theory, practice and policy.udThe study analysed new university-industry cooperation policy in South Korea thatudhad been implemented after 2003 to promote RIS building. The empirical fieldworkudwas completed in two administrative regions, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province andudDaegu City, by the selection of four regional universities.udIn order to identify the dynamic interactions of universities in response to the policy,udthis research used a mixed methodology mainly based on qualitative interviews withudacademics, government officers and firm managers. The Triple Helix Model wasudadopted to provide an analytical tool to study these responses.udAnalysis of the empirical study reveals significant findings: first, the regionaluduniversities responded positively to the government policy, in terms of outwardudappearances, but their interactions with government and industry did not develop toudthe degree of creating new relationships in the triple helix relations; second, therefore,udit can be said that it is difficult to co-ordinate universities into the localisedudinteractive processes as a part of regional innovation strategies; and last, it seems thatudthe .' boundaries. for regional innovation system are determined through ongoinguddynamic selective processes for maximising the benefits of each organisation.ud