Vorsprung durch Technium: Towards a System of Innovation in South-west Wales

Abstract

Abbey J., Davies G. and Mainwaring L. Vorsprung durch Technium: towards a system of innovation in south-west Wales, Regional Studies. Begun in 2001, Technium is a Welsh university–business interface project presently consisting of ten facilities. Seven of these are jointly managed by the Welsh Development Agency and Swansea University. Taken together with other, linked developments at the university, Technium is helping to generate a distinct sub-regional innovation system incorporating many features that researchers have identified as critical to successful localized collective learning and innovation. A provisional evaluation of costs and benefits suggests that recent criticism of the project is unfounded. With its initial dependence on European Union Structural Funds, the Technium model incorporates design elements that may be appropriate to other relatively deprived regions of the European Union.

Abbey J., Davies G. et Mainwaring L. Vorsprung durch Technium: vers un système d'innovation dans le Sud-ouest des pays de Galles, Regional Studies. Lancée en 2001, Technium est une interface entre le secteur universitaire et le milieu du commerce comportant actuellement dix complexes, dont sept administrés conjointement par la Welsh Development Agency (commission chargée de la promotion des pays de Galles) et par l'Université de Swansea. Considéré avec d'autres développements universitaires connexes, Technium contribue à la création d'un différent système d'innovation sousrégional qui embrasse beaucoup des traits qu'ont identifiés les chercheurs comme essentiels pour assurer un apprentissage collectif et une innovation localisés réussis. Une évaluation provisioire des coûts et des bénéfices laisse supposer que la critique récente du projet est sans fondement. Avec sa dépendance initiale des Fonds structurels de l'Ue, le modèle Technium inclut des éléments qui pourraient s'avérer appropriés aux autres régions relativement défavorisées de l'Ue.

Technium Systèmes d'innovation locaux Sud-ouest des pays de Galles

Abbey J., Davies G. und Mainwaring L. Vorsprung durch Technium: auf dem Weg zu einem System der Innovation in Südwest-Wales, Regional Studies. Technium ist ein 2001 gegründetes Schnittstellenprojekt zwischen Universitäten und Unternehmen in Wales, das derzeit zehn Einrichtungen umfasst. Sieben dieser Einrichtungen stehen unter der gemeinsamen Verwaltung der Welsh Development Agency und der Universität Swansea. Gemeinsam mit anderen, verknüpften Entwicklungen an der Universität trägt Technium zum Aufbau eines eigenen subregionalen Innovationssystems bei, das zahlreiche Merkmale aufweist, die von Wissenschaftlern als entscheidend für erfolgreiches kollektives Lernen und Innovation vor Ort bezeichnet wurden. Eine provisorische Bewertung von Kosten und Nutzen lässt darauf schließen, dass die jüngste Kritik am Projekt unbegründet ist. Mit seiner anfänglichen Abhängigkeit von EU-Strukturfonds weist das Technium-Modell Merkmale auf, die sich auch für andere relativ benachteiligte Regionen der EU als geeignet erweisen könnten.

Technium Lokale Innovationssysteme Südwest-Wales

Abbey J., Davies G. y Mainwaring L. Vorsprung durch Technium: Hacia un sistema de innovación en el suroeste de Gales, Regional Studies. Technium es un proyecto de interconexión entre universidades y empresas iniciado en 2001 que en la actualidad cuenta con diez instalaciones. Siete de estas instalaciones están gestionadas conjuntamente por la Agencia de Desarrollo de Gales y la Universidad de Swansea. Junto con otros proyectos de desarrollo vinculados a la Universidad, Technium sirve para generar un sistema de innovación distinto a nivel subregional que incorpora muchas características que los investigadores han identificado como fundamentales para localizar con éxito el aprendizaje colectivo y la innovación. Una valoración provisional de los costes y los beneficios indica que las recientes críticas del proyecto no tienen fundamentos. Con su dependencia inicial de los Fondos Estructurales de la UE, el modelo de Technium añade lo que podría ser apropiado a otras regiones relativamente desfavorecidas de la UE.

Technium Sistemas de innovación local Suroeste de Gales

Keywords:

• Technium
• Local innovation systems
• South-west Wales

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Professor Marc Clement of Swansea University's Innovation Office and to the Technium Managers Mike Day and Richard Harris for providing information. The paper has benefited from the comments of colleagues Andrew Beale and Iwan Davies and the extensive suggestions of an anonymous referee.

Notes

1. Despite this change, confusion is avoided by continuing to refer to this department as the WDA. Its successor title, the Department for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, does, at least, signal a new intent in relation to the direction of economic strategy.

2. Phelps et al. (2003), however, have shown that multinationals in Wales do undertake a considerable amount of local-market development activity.

3. An analysis of the patent stocks of production firms by Moore and Mainwaring (2006) shows that compared with Ireland, Scotland and South West England, more firms in Wales are single-patent firms. This suggests, for these firms, either the inability or the inadvisability of building on the initial invention through downstream R&D.

4. For present purposes, south-west Wales may be thought of as the combined unitary authorities of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath-Port Talbot, and Bridgend, and has a population of 775 000.

5. It was actually conceived by Marc Clement, then Professor of Engineering at Swansea Institute of Higher Education (SIHE). Both he and the project transferred soon after to the nearby university. SIHE remains a partner in Techniums 1 and 2 (see below).

6. New EU regulations require companies to meet stringent targets concerning the recycling of materials incorporated in their products. For manufacturers of complex products, the product life cycle is a major logistical consideration. IBM has seconded one of its staff to teach PLM to Master's students at the University's Engineering School. This is an example of how Technium has helped reinforce more direct university–business interactions.

7. This was reported in the Western Mail in December 2005. The authors have not been able to incorporate funding details here. There was also a private-sector proposal for a Media Technium at Gelli Aur in Carmarthenshire. This attracted WDA interest and Objective 1 funds were allocated to it, but the proposal fell through. According to a Western Mail report of 2 July 2003, some £434 000 remained owed to the WDA.

8. Cooke and Clifton's claim (2005, pp. 443–444) that ‘the Californian flagship technology firm Agilent in Swansea's Technium folded in 2002’ is simply untrue. Agilent remains a major University partner and is investing a further £4 million in its Laboratory in the IAT.

9. For example, Llywelyn (2005).

10. The Best Science Incubator Award 2005, run by the Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services, assessed 29 schemes (including some established in the 1980s) from 17 countries. Technium Swansea (i.e. T-1 and T-2) was one of five schemes from the UK. Technium was ranked fourth for return on investment, fifth for growth and unplaced (i.e. not in the top ten) for sustainability. None of the other UK schemes was placed (in the top ten) in any of the categories.