Science Parks: From outsourced innovation to co-managed innovation

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the business model adopted by science parks in order to manage the complexity of openness orientation in innovation development. The research is based on case studies related to Italian science parks that belong to a wider research focused on innovation and spatial relationships. The research results are mainly ascribable to science parks’ ability to facilitate networking among tenants as well as between tenants and external actors that belong to an epistemic network. As described in the case studies, science parks have become increasingly characterized by a new business model focused on providing value-added services through networking. These actors thus become knowledge intermediaries that allow firms to identify innovation parties and transform them into innovation partners, thereby facilitating the shift from outsourced innovation to co-managed innovation. In this way, knowledge intermediaries support tenants and business partners in reinforcing the relationship’s DNA founded on loyalty, engagement, and commitment to improve the strength of a relationship made up of a shared vision and shared destiny.