Abstract
Research on university–business interactions has thrived in recent years, influenced by some very successful examples where they have led to the emergence of world-class clusters. However, this paper will argue that in less developed regions the most important contribution that universities can make to their regional economies is the supply of skilled human capital. Through the case study of the wine industry in Portugal, it will argue that this supply of human capital can have a significant impact on the absorptive capacity of firms, particularly SMEs. It will therefore seek to make an important contribution to academic research in this area, by outlining a relatively neglected research area. It is also relevant for policy-makers and practitioners, as it argues that innovation and regional development policies should pay more attention to the need to match skills provision by higher education institutions to business needs among SMEs.
Highlights
Research on university–business links has mostly focused on knowledge exchange and collaboration
The main contribution of this paper will be to show that the training and supply of human capital is a very relevant, yet relatively neglected, dimension of university–business interactions that can have a positive impact on innovation and growth in less-developed regions (LDRs) (Camagni & Capello, 2013)
At its core is the increase in the supply of human capital from Portuguese universities, which allowed firms to create absorptive capacity and in turn manage the absorption and exploitation of foreign technology
Summary
Research on university–business links has mostly focused on knowledge exchange and collaboration. The main contribution of this paper will be to show that the training and supply of human capital is a very relevant, yet relatively neglected, dimension of university–business interactions that can have a positive impact on innovation and growth in less-developed regions (LDRs) (Camagni & Capello, 2013).
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