ABSTRACT
Introduction By the end of the twentieth century, technology-based economic development (TBED) programs had become a nearly ubiquitous tool for public sector economic development policies in the United States. TBED programs are not limited to federal policies but have become the key element of most state level economic development efforts. In addition, innumerable local public initiatives across the nation are based on promoting technology to foster regional economic competitiveness and growth. Publicly financed TBED programs focus on the attraction, retention, and growth of advanced technology-based firms and industries. Expanded technology-focused policy efforts have fostered growing partnerships between the public sector and institutions of higher education, especially those with expertise in research. Some reports go so far as to say that regional research centers and institutes are “undisputedly the most important factor in incubating high-tech industries” (DeVol 1999; State Science and Technology Institute 2006, p. 13). Unlike anytime in the past, American research universities have developed extensive and formal collaborations with both state and local governments, making them primary partners in local economic development policy in regions across the nation.
