Building both technology-intensive and technology-limited clusters by emerging research universities: The Toledo example

Universities have been instrumental in supporting and advancing industry clusters for many decades, long before cluster-based economic development strategies became popularized. Universities through their research programs, academic programs, faculty consulting and other activities have been a resource to support industry clusters even when the university themselves took little effort to promote cluster development as part of the university mission. As universities embrace economic development and regional engagement as part of their overall mission, universities are taking more active positions to advance new clusters or support existing clusters. This paper compares the role of one university, The University of Toledo, in supporting an emerging technology cluster in solar energy that draws upon the University’s assets in research, technology transfer, and incubation, and the older greenhouse industry that has more modest links to the University’s research and technology programs. It is shown that even a modest-sized research University can advance both types of clusters through active cluster management supported at the highest levels of the institution.

► Universities can advance both technology-intensive and non-technology intensive clusters.
► The cluster management role is imperative to cluster advancement.
► Both generative and developmental models of university engagement can support clusters.
► Universities are in a good position to garner public support for cluster advancement.