Emilie-Pauline Gallié

Do collaboratories mean the end of face-to-face interactions? An evidence from the ISEE project

Scientific collaboration encompasses two main issues: knowledge sharing and trust. Geographical distance has an impact on both. Our purpose is to test the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) sophistication on remote collaboration: do collaboratories mean the end of face-to-face interactions? We first analyse the importance of geographical proximity with regard to knowledge transfer and trust. For both, we address the main problems set by geographical distance and the answers provided by ICT. These technologies come in a rich variety in a ‘collaboratory’. They can be classified according to two criteria: their degree of synchronisation and the ‘quality’ of the communication cues. It turns out that the diversity of technical solutions can lead to firm solutions or palliatives to overcoming the barriers of geographical proximity. A case study in the field of space physics allows us to test our hypotheses.

Why are good comparative studies of networks so rare? Practical lessons from a study on French clusters

French “competitiveness clusters” were set up in 2005 to strengthen cooperation between small and large enterprises, and training and research institutions working on similar topics and located in the same geographical area, with the aim of making this area more competitive and attractive through enhanced innovation. Our analysis of this set of about 70 apparently similar networks, on which much data were collected, has given us an opportunity to investigate the factors explaining the differences in their performance.

HOW DO SPATIAL SPILLOVERS DIFFUSE IN SCIENCE–INDUSTRY INTERACTIONS? THE CASE OF FRENCH BIOTECH SECTOR

The objective of this article is to study the interactions that exist between public research and private research in the French biotechnology sector. These interactions are observable at a double level. On the one hand, public research can influence private research, and conversely. Researchers of these two spheres develop important relations of cooperation. We then seek to identify these mutual influences and to measure their spatial dimension. Using asymptotic least squares method, we show that spillovers can diffuse through cooperation in upstream and downstream phases of the innovation process. On the other hand, spillovers resulting from public or private research, when measured by an external stock of knowledge, would be located, in so far as they exist.