Üniversitelerin yenilikçilik, üniversite-sanayi işbirliği ve bölgesel kalkınma yönelimleri üzerine bir araştırma - ınnovatıveness, unıversıty-ındustry collaboratıon and regıonal development orıentatıons of turkısh publıc unıversıtıes

Abstract

Ozet Universiteler, egitim ve arastirma misyonlari dogrultusunda bilgi uretip, bu bilgiyi topluma ve sanayi kuruluslarinin kullanimina sunmanin yanisira, artik bu misyonun otesine gecerek, teknoloji uretim ve transferinde sanayi basta olmak uzere toplumun cesitli kesimleriyle isbirligi ve ortaklik kurarak, dogrudan katma deger ureten mekanizmalar haline donusmektedir. Bu baglamda, ulkemizde, universitelerin girisimcilik, yenilikcilik konusundaki egitim faaliyetlerinin giderek yogunlasmasi ve derinlesmesinin yanisira, strateji ifadelerinde giderek daha sik ve yogun olarak sanayi isbirligi, yenilikcilik, bolgesel kalkinma ifadelerine yer verilmekte; universitelerin organizasyonel yapilanmalarinda da bu hedefleri gerceklestirmeye odaklanmis birimlerin giderek artmakta oldugu gozlemlenmektedir. Ozellikle gelisme hedefinin yuksek oldugu bolgelerde yenilikcilik ve universite-sanayi isbirligini (USI) desteklemek icin ise universitelere onemli rol ve sorumluluklar dusmektedir. Bu cercevede, bu calisma, Turkiye’de 2011 yili itibari ile faaliyet gostermekte olan 96 devlet universitesinin yenilikcilik, sanayi ile isbirligi ve bolgesel kalkinmaya katki konusundaki yonelimlerini belirlemek uzere bu konulara iliskin strateji ifadelerini ve kurduklari organizasyonel birimlerini incelemekte, bu stratejiler ve yapilanmalarin, universitelerin kurulu bulunduklari bolgelerin gelismislik seviyelerine gore farklilik gosterip gostermedigini arastirmak amacini tasimaktadir. Bu dogrultuda, oncelikle, universitelerin kamuya acik bilgi kaynaklarindan universitelerin misyon, vizyon, stratejik hedefler, degerler/normlar gibi temel/ust duzey stratejik ifadelerinde ve organizasyonel yapilanmalarinda, sanayi isbirligi, yenilikcilik/inovasyon, bolgesel kalkinma kavramlari taranarak icerik analizi yapilmistir. Bu veriler esas alinarak, universitelerin oryantasyonlarinin, devlet organlari tarafindan belirlenen bolgesel gelismislik duzeyleri, kalkinmada oncelikli yoreler siniflamalarina gore yogunlasmalari arastirilmistir. Universite-sanayi isbirligi ve yenilikcilik konusunda stratejik ifadeler ve birimlerin, gelismis bolgelerde yogunlasmis olmasi, bolgesel kalkinma oryantasyonunun ise diger bolgelerde belirgin hale gelmesi, bolgesel kalkinma ile universite-sanayi isbirligi, yenilikcilik kavramlarinin arasindaki guclu dogrusal iliskinin oneminin daha iyi kavranmasi gerektigini dusundurmektedir. Abstract In last few decades, roles of universities in economic growth and development evolved beyond the education and research. Today universities are expected to transform themselves into mechanisms that can introduce solutions to social and industrial needs by exploiting knowledge created by research and introducing innovations, to create wealth by investing in business, by building linkages with industry. Similarly, in Turkey, in terms of contributing to regional development through technological capacity building and academic entrepreneurship the expectations from universities has also increased causing a significant change in the strategic orientations of universities as well. However, although evolving missions of universities in economic development are widely searched by scholars from multiple disciplines in developed countries, there is still a room for research about the orientations, activities and contributions of universities to regional development through innovativeness and entrepreneurship in Turkey. In this context, this study explores the strategic statements and organizational units of the public universities in order to determine their orientations for the innovativeness, collaboration with industry and regional development. Study also explores whether these orientations are aligned with the regional development levels. By conducting a qualitative content analysis on official and public information sources like Web sites of 96 public universities in Turkey in academic year of 2011-2012, the terms of “innovativeness”, “collaboration with industry” and “regional development” are searched in the high level strategic statements (like mission, vision, strategic objectives, norms and values) and in the names and regulations of organizational units (Centers and offices like technology transfer offices, technoparks and technocities, industry collaboration centers, continous learning centers). Then the intensity of these strategic statements and organizational units are defined by the socioeconomic development levels of the regions that they locate in. Findings reveal that the strategic focus of universities on Innovativeness and collaboration with industry is more intense in socioeconomically developed regions while the orientation on regional development is relatively higher in the universities that are located in the under-developed or developing regions in Turkey. Public policy makers nd academy leaders should better consider that the contribution of universities to regional development is strongly dependant on their innovative capacity and capability of collaboration with industry.