Canonical Analysis of University Presence and Industrial Comparative Advantage

Technology transfer is a key component in the relationship between high-technology economic development and university knowledge production. Modeling the relationship between the output of universities and the economic growth resulting from that output, however, can be problematic. The primary issue stems from defining the scope of technology transfer and from accounting for the technical capacity of regions to absorb academic innovation. This article uses canonical correlation analysis to study this relationship via labor concentrations in high-technology industry and university R&D in areas relevant to those industries. The results indicate that moderately strong relationships do exist, most notably between computer and electronic equipment industries and academic R&D in engineering, life, and physical sciences. Recommendations include a stronger specification of human capital and regional economy interactions as predictive factors in the theory and several policy directives if such relationships exist at the local level.