The formation of Science and Technology Parks

The growing number of Science and Technology Parks (STPs) worldwide has generated lively debates among scholars. Among them, the positive emphasize the role of STPs in technology transfer and development of new ventures, while the skeptics consider STPs merely as real estate operations. Recent research has investigated the functions, the drivers and critical factors for STPs development. These studies seem to neglect the effects of interaction among actors inside and outside the park on the park development. In general, how STPs form and develop remain unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to explore the formation of Bioindustry Park located near Turin in Italy between 2004 and 2010 describing the change over time in the main actors involved in the different phases of STP’s formation, their aims, the resources brought in, and the outcomes of their interactions. Our study finds out the underlying conditions that lead to the park’s formation and suggests rethinking the role of the park’s management