This paper reports a study to test whether the linkage mechanisms between basic research and industry that are evident in large countries were also observable in a small one. The Republic of Ireland has experienced a period of rapid industrial and economic growth and now enjoys per capita...

In the field of R&D policy at least, reality, theory and therefore the needs of evaluation users seem to have moved well ahead of evaluators' conceptual apparatus. The way we think about both innovation and how knowledge is produced has moved towards a systems perspective, while much of the...

In the UK the purpose of and approach to evaluation of state activity in science and technology has changed over recent years from a tactical tool, to determine whether programmes have performed their allotted tasks, to a strategic one which investigates the programmes appropriateness. By...

Despite a large and growing effort in the evaluation of public R&D funding programmes, we know surprisingly little about their long-term effects. This is a pity, because the conventional justifications for state intervention in research depend upon phenomena such as the production and use of...

Absorptive capacity plays a key role in determining firms' capability to access and make use of external knowledge. However, little evidence has been provided about this important determinant of knowledge acquisition in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This article...

Although universities are generally under pressure to increase their interactions with industry, academic departments vary enormously in the extent to which they collaborate with businesses. There are several factors, which, to different extents, drive or hamper academics' capabilities to engage...

Universities have come under increasing pressure to become key drivers of economic development in the age of the knowledge economy. Yet we know very little about the impact of university quality and scientific excellence on the probability of graduates finding jobs. This paper investigates the...

The importance of eco-innovations for industry has been rising exponentially in recent years. However, even if recent trends show that firms are increasingly committed to eco-innovations, there is little knowledge on why and how companies integrate environmental sustainability into new product...