The Commercialisation of University Research Workshop

A boundary spanning regional innovation model of permeability among universityindustry-government is abstracted from Boston, Silicon Valley and Research Triangle and used to assess Newcastle Science City. Early history may provide a better guide for aspiring regions than abstracting elements from the contemporary Silicon Valley ecosystem with its multiple interactive technology and business paradigms. Inducing permeability in academic boundaries is a first step to creating an entrepreneurial university, the motive force of the most successful regional innovation clusters. An entrepreneurial university is the key element of a knowledge-based region‟s infrastructure, superseding tunnels, bridges and roadways in importance. After a high-tech cluster is achieved, the generative source of its firms is often forgotten, their origins obscured by highly visible artifacts and symbols, like science parks or branding. The increasing dependence of Silicon Valley on external sources of human capital and technological innovation is a potential Achilles Heel, if competitive regions achieve “stickiness” and retain their assets. Paradoxically, Silicon Valley is both unique and replicable. Regional Development: The Role of the University in Exploiting its