Technovation, 14(2) (1994) 93-110 University-related science parks - ‘seedbeds‘ or ‘enclaves’ of innovation? Daniel Felsenstein Department of Geography and Institute of Urban and Regional Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91900, Israel Abstract This paper examines the role of science parks as ‘seedbeds’ of innovation. Making the distinction between the spatial and the behavioural conceptions of the seedbed metaphor, the paper surveys the evidence related to the limited interaction effects between science park firms on the one hand and their neighbouring park firms, local universities and off-park firms on the other. This suggests that science parks might be functioning as ‘enclaves’ of innovation rather than seedbeds. This hypothesis is empirically tested on the basis of a survey of over 160 high-technology firms in Israel located both on and off-park. Specifically, the following questions are addressed: (1) are seedbed eflects important inputs to a firm’s innovation level? and (2) to what extent are these effects contingent on the physical proximity and clustering afforded by science park location? The results indicate that, first, seedbed effects, as indicated by level of interaction with a local university and the entrepreneur’s educational background, are not necessarily related to the firm’s innovative level; second, science park location is shown to have only a weak and indirect relationship with innovation level. It is proposed that the role of the science park is thus innovation-entrenching rather than innovation-inducing. The attraction of science park location could therefore be due to perceived status and prestige conferred rather than benefits in terms of technology transfer and information flow. 1. Introduction This paper examines science parks as ‘seedbeds’ of innovation. Implicit in the ‘seedbed’ metaphor is the notion of a nurturing process that eventually creates an environment for growth. The science park as a ‘seedbed’ therefore refers to the con- ditions created to promote innovation. Science parks (and especially those that are university related) are intuitively conceived as fulfilling such an environment-creating function. They are assumed to play an incubator role, nurturing the development and growth of new, small, high- technology firms, facilitating the transfer of univer- sity know-how to tenant companies, encouraging the development of faculty-based spin-offs and stimulating the development of innovative products and processes [l-3]. As such, they are said to create Technovation Vol. 14 No. 2 0166-4972/94/US$O7.00 0 1994 Elsevier Science Ltd 93