A typology of university research park strategies: What parks do and why it matters

A growing body of research examines whether and how university research parks (URPs) enhance the performance of their tenants and foster regional innovation. As the findings in the literature are inconclusive, we argue that the URP construct requires closer conceptual examination, especially in regards to URP strategies. This paper highlights the limitations of treating URPs homogenously and theorizes how URPs’ strategies vary and arise. We develop a conceptual model, a typology, based on URP’s industry specialization and development services, of four types of URP strategies. The model shows how URP strategies can vary in theoretically important ways to generate URP internal and external strategic fit.