Universities' gravitational effects on the location of knowledge-intensive investments in Brazil

Author(s)

Fischer, Bruno Brandao ^[1] ; Schaeffer, Paola Rucker ^[2] ; Silveira, Julia Phaiffer ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Appl Sci, R Pedro Zaccaria 1300, BR-13484350 Limeira, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Sci & Technol Policy, R Carlos Gomes 250, BR-13083855 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY; v. 45, n. 5, p. 692-707, OCT 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

For a while, universities have been perceived by academics and policymakers as potential engines of regional economic development. One specific field of analysis in this regard involves the role of academia in shaping regional attractiveness for knowledge-intensive investments. Nonetheless, there are scant approaches dealing with these issues in developing countries. The goal of this article is to address the attraction effects exerted by high-quality universities on the location of investments in knowledge-intensive activities at the level of cities and microregions, drawing from the case of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Two-stage Heckman models are applied. Findings suggest weak effects associated with top-tier universities in defining whether a given location receives productive investments or not, but these gravitational impacts are absent in the definition of investment levels. These results indicate weak connections between academic research and agglomeration trends around specific locations in Brazil. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/17801-4 - THE ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO
• Grantee: Bruno Brandão Fischer
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants