Proximity and cooperation for innovative regional development: The case of the Science and Technology Park of Alentejo

Abstract

Entrepreneurship and innovation are multidimensional phenomena, with many interrelated determinants. Innovation is also frequently associated with scientific and technological research. Since innovative entrepreneurship is vital for the promotion of social and economic development, policy makers have for long nurtured potential synergies between universities and enterprises. In the context of wider strategies for regional development, the creation of Science and Technology Parks is one attempt to tackle societal challenges such as boosting competitiveness, job creation or the development of lagging regions. This chapter focuses on the only science and technology park located in the Portuguese region of Alentejo and is organized in five sections: introduction, survey of the literature on proximity and cooperation for innovation, Park description and analysis of a questionnaire developed to assess the effects of membership for resident firms, and a set of conclusions and implications on proximity and innovation for low density converging regions.