Dense Communication and R&D in Knowledge-based Industrial Clusters: Comparative Study of Small & Medium-sized Firms in Korea and China

This paper presents analyses of the effects of dense communication of industry-academia-government cooperation on enhancement and reduction of in-house R&D activities using survey data of the Seoul Digital Industrial Complex, Daedeok Valley, and Zhongguancun Science Park. Our results show that older firms, presumably with more-experienced personnel, take more advantage of R&D cooperation in large metropolitan areas, whereas in-house R&D of less-experienced younger firms is not influenced greatly by external knowledge. In a science park that is distant from the economic core region, we identified that encouragement by local organization toward R&D by less-experienced younger firms has considerable influence.