SME–University Collaboration in Non-metropolitan regions: A Multiple Case Study Analysis of How Collaborations Start and Unfold

The industry-university collaboration literature has studied the factors that are positively related to industry-university collaboration; however, not much is known about the relevance of these factors in different types of regions. Similarly, not much is known about the factors that are related to the initiation of collaboration with universities; and its unfolding. In order to help fill these gaps in the literature, the present study discusses the results of a multiple case study aimed at uncovering factors associated with the initiation and unfolding of industry-university collaboration among 7 SMEs operating in non-metropolitan regions of Denmark, Norway and Portugal. In order to highlight factors specific to the non-metropolitan SMEs, the case study also includes 4 cases of SMEs in metropolitan regions of the same countries. Among the non-metropolitan cases, the local universities play an active role in starting relations with the focal SMEs. These relations later on evolve, incentivised by the goal of satisfying international customers and supported by public funds, from non-collaborative relations such as student internships into collaborative research. Having an R&D department helps the non-metropolitan SMEs integrate university knowledge, and these firms developed their R&D departments while building on their collaboration with the focal university. The findings from the case studies contribute to the industry-university collaboration literature, by pointing out at factors associated with the initiation, and unfolding of industry-university collaboration among firms in non-metropolitan regions.