Title: Technology centres in Germany: economic justification, effectiveness and impact on high-tech regions

Authors: Rolf Sternberg

Addresses: Department of Economic and Social Geography, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany

Abstract: This paper seeks to analyse the relationship between technology centres and high-tech regions in Germany. Although Germany|s national economy still enjoys a very high level of technological competitiveness, despite a slight downward trend, little is known about the existence of high-tech regions and the causes of their coming into being. This paper will demonstrate that the Munich region clearly represents one such high-tech region. Despite the existence of technology centres in this and many other German regions, only in a very few exceptional cases have these institutions generated statistically significant economic effects at the regional level, and never to the emergence of a high-tech region. Realistically, however, this cannot be the goal of German-style technology centres, as they differ considerably from, for example, the British or US style of science or research parks.

Keywords: technology centres; Munich region; Germany; high-tech regions; start-ups; entrepreneurship; technological competitiveness; economic justification; effectiveness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2004.005298

International Journal of Technology Management, 2004 Vol.28 No.3/4/5/6, pp.444 - 469

Published online: 20 Sep 2004 *

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