Technoparks and Technology Transfer Offices as Drivers of an Innovation Economy: Lessons from Istanbul's Innovation Spaces

Abstract

Universities can significantly contribute to the regional development and innovation capability of a city if the knowledge produced in universities can be appropriately cycled back to the city in the form of technological innovation. Technology parks and technology transfer offices (TTOs), as urban knowledge and innovation spaces, are two important channels of building research platforms with enterprises where universities can disseminate knowledge. While technology parks create space for knowledge generation and innovation within a city, university TTOs play a critical role in enhancing knowledge spillover and creating new start-up firms. This paper highlights the contribution universities can make to Istanbul's potential of becoming an innovative city that houses successful urban knowledge and innovation spaces. By conducting interviews with the managers of technoparks and TTOs in Istanbul, we explore how the existence of technoparks and TTOs within a university affects the success of technology-transfer mechanisms.

Keywords:

• technoparks
• technology transfer offices
• innovation space
• innovation economy
• Istanbul
• university

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Erratum

Notes on Contributors

Gökc¸en Arkali Olcay is an assistant professor in the School of Management and Administrative Sciences at Istanbul Şehir Univeristy.

Melih Bulu is a professor in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Istinye University.