Assessing performance and impact of the Technological Districts (TDs): general modelling and measurement system

Purpose – This paper aims to define a general model to identify and assess performance and impacts of the technology districts (TDs), paying great attention to avoid confusion on contents and methods as well as overlapping of economic, financial and managerial dimensions of performance and impact that often have characterized the academic and policy literature. Although over the past years the emphasis on knowledge and science-based resources has strongly contributed to create a wide acknowledgement of the relevance of the TDs for the national and local development paths, there is still a need for a better understanding about the assessment of the TDs’ performance and impacts. Design/methodology/approach – First, a literature review – both at academic and practitioners’ and policy level – was performed using a systematic approach. Then, a rigorous Delphi methodology was designed and implemented to identify and select the most important issues of interest of the research by soliciting qualified experts. Findings – Based on this research, a well-grounded set of macro-areas and specific indicators aimed to assess performance and impact of the TDs is proposed from which researchers and policymakers can choose those which are more fitted to the needs of their studies and as a way to define the specific focus of their investigation. Practical implications – The definition of this general model has the objective to support the elaboration of a structured set of managerial and policy implications able to drive, respectively, the management in the strategy formulation and implementation, as well as in the actions for the performance improvement, and the decision-makers in the elaboration of effective policies of development and correct evaluation of the impact of the TDs on the different places. Originality/value – This paper contributes at theoretical and practical level to improve the managerial and policy methods and tools to identify, assess, manage and report the performance and the impact of the TDs. The originality and the value of the paper resides in its attempt to improve and to let more shared and transparent the informative quality on which the TDs are called to operate and report to the stakeholders, in particular regulators and public organizations. Moreover, this paper will hopefully stimulate a debate and encourage a greater level of clarity, generalizability and comparability in the TDs performance measurement systems research stream.