What is the Role of Universities in High-tech Economic Development? The Case of Portland, Oregon, and Washington, DC

Abstract

This paper focuses on two regions in the United States that have emerged as high-technology regions in the absence of major research universities. The case of Portland's Silicon Forest is compared to Washington, DC. In both regions, high-technology economies grew because of industrial restructuring processes. The paper argues that in both regions other actors—such as firms and government laboratories—spurred the development of knowledge-based economies and catalysed the engagement of higher education institutions in economic development. The paper confirms and advances the triple helix model of university–government–industry relationships and posits that future studies have to examine degrees of university-region engagement.

Acknowledgement

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the DRUID Summer Conference on ‘Industrial Dynamics, Innovation and Development’ in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 14–16, 2004 and at the 45th Annual Conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning in Portland, Oregon, October 21–24, 2004. The author would like to acknowledge the helpful insights received from discussant Professor David R. Charles from the University of Newcastle, UK. In addition, the author would like to thank the editors and the anonymous referees for their invaluable insights that helped improve this manuscript.

Notes

¹ Data of high-technology employment is limited to the years 1997 to 2000 because of changes in the industrial classification system and the associated difficulty in comparing longitudinal data. In 1997, the United States adopted the new industrial classification system called North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which replaced the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). The high-technology industry is defined as SIC 357: Office and Computing Machines, SIC 36: Electric and Electronic Equipment, SIC 38: Instruments and Related Products, and SIC 737: Computer and Data Processing Services. This definition follows the definition used by the Oregon Employment Department as well as Cortright & Mayer (2001).

² The University of Oregon is located in Eugene, which is about 100 miles South of Portland. Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, a small town about 50 miles South of Portland. The seven small institutions in Portland are Reed College, Concordia University, University of Portland, Linfield College, George Fox University, Pacific University, and Lewis and Clark College.

³ Markusen et al . (1991, p. 214) state that in the Washington, DC region ‘unlike in southern California and Massachusetts, university research has played little part in the rise of this region. George Mason and George Washington universities have recently expanded their electronics programs, but this has occurred in response to demand, not the other way around.’

⁴ In 1996, Prince William County began to acquire land for the business park and named the area Innovation@Prince William. The sector plan for the area provides for a hotel, conference center and high technology businesses (Kittower, 1997).