Attracting High-Tech Companies: The Case of the University of Twente and its Region

• Published in: Industry & higher education 2002-04, Vol.16 (2), p.97-104
• Main Authors: van der Sijde, P.C., Vogelaar, G., Hoogeveen, A., Ligtenberg, H., van Velzen, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0950-4222; 2043-6858
• DOI: 10.5367/000000002101296171

From 1998 to 2001 a consortium of regional partners – the University of Twente, the Enschede Foundation Business & Science Park, the Regional Development Agency, and the Municipality of Enschede – carried out a project to attract new business to the area of Twente and to the Business & Science Park in particular. In that period, a well-functioning structure for cooperation among the partners was established in order to attract companies in sectors related to the principal research areas of the university Cooperation in the consortium is analysed using the ‘4S’ model (scope of cooperation; skills; scale; social networks) to identify the added value of the partners in this endeavour. It emerges that the four parties were complementary to each other. In total, some 13 companies have been attracted to the region, 161 jobs have been created and it is expected that in the next five years those 13 companies will create around 250 new jobs. Interviews were carried out with the companies to assess the value for them of the university's technology research and facilities. The results indicate that the technological expertise of the university was and remains one of the key attractions of the region for the companies.