Are incubators and science parks effective for research spin-offs? Evidence from Italy

Abstract

In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the research spin-off phenomenon. Spin-off firms are recognised as an important opportunity for universities. Notwithstanding the interest on this field at European and US levels, few analyses have focused on Italy. The goal of this paper is to contribute to the literature on research spin-offs by providing original empirical evidence on spin-offs from Italian research. More specifically, attention is focused on the relationship between science parks/incubators and spin-offs at regional level. The results of a linear regression model highlight that the higher the number of host structures the higher the number of spin-offs. This analysis is completed with the results of a questionnaire: 65 on-park and 90 off-park respondents provided similar answers with few conclusive differences. The debate about the effectiveness of incubators and science parks remains open in Italy (and elsewhere).