University spillovers, absorptive capacities, and firm performance

Erik E. Lehmann (), Matthias Menter () and Katharine Wirsching ()
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Erik E. Lehmann: University of Augsburg
Matthias Menter: Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Katharine Wirsching: University of Augsburg

Eurasian Business Review, 2022, vol. 12, issue 1, No 5, 125-150

Abstract: Abstract This study investigates the impact of both university spillovers and firms’ absorptive capacities on firms’ financial performance, using a multilevel approach. Considering internal firm characteristics as well as external regional characteristics, our results clearly show that university spillovers do not have a per se stimulating effect. It is the interaction between firms’ absorptive capacities and local university spillovers, which proves to have a positive and significant effect on firms’ economic performance. We further find that there is an optimal level of absorptive capacities, implying that ‘a more the better’ logic does not apply. Our findings give impetus to a call for more comprehensive public policy strategies. Policy makers have to balance the support provided to knowledge producing regional actors such as universities as well as knowledge exploiting actors such as knowledge-based firms to leverage local resources and ultimately create economic value within regional innovation systems by enabling efficient technology transfer processes.

Keywords: Regional innovation systems; Absorptive capacity; Knowledge spillover; University spillover; Technology transfer; Firm performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O31 O32 O38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1007/s40821-021-00199-5

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