Taking Root in the Silicon Forest: High-technology Firms as Surrogate Universities in Portland, Oregon

Mayer, Heike (2005). Taking Root in the Silicon Forest: High-technology Firms as Surrogate Universities in Portland, Oregon. Journal of the American Planning Association, 71(3), pp. 318-333. Taylor & Francis 10.1080/01944360508976701

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Most case studies of successful high-technology industry regions highlight the role of research universities in fostering regional economic development. The Portland, Oregon, region managed to root a thriving high-tech industry in the absence of this critical factor. In this article, I present a case study of the evolution of Portland's high-tech industry and propose that high-tech firms can act as surrogate universities that attract and develop labor, create knowledge, and function as incubators for startups. I conclude that planners working to develop high-tech industries in regions without major research universities should attract R&D-intensive firms, maintain information on key busineses and entrepreneurial ventures, support an innovation milieu, and set realistic goals.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography > Human Geography > Unit Economic Geography 08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography
UniBE Contributor:	Mayer, Heike
Subjects:	700 Arts > 710 Landscaping & area planning 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 330 Economics
ISSN:	0194-4363
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Language:	English
Submitter:	Claudia Baumann
Date Deposited:	24 Aug 2015 11:52
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:48
Publisher DOI:	10.1080/01944360508976701
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/71127