The effect of science and technology parks on tenant firms: a literature review

Abstract Science and technology parks (STPs) are non-spontaneous agglomerations aimed at encouraging the formation growth of on-site knowledge-based firms. STPs have diffused worldwide, attracting significant, often public, investment. However, there contrasting evidence insights on effectiveness these local development, innovation policy tools. This paper provides a comprehensive systematic review STP literature (221 papers, 1987–2021), focusing especially quantitative papers assessing park effect tenant’s performance. We perform an in-depth analyses, which allows us to go beyond inconclusiveness reported in previous showing that likelihood finding positive effects increases considerably with sample size. discuss limitations this offer some suggestions for future research.