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Workplane - WORKPACKAGE 4

Chambre De Commerce Et D’industrie De Grenoble/ Grenoble Ecole De Management, CCIG/GEM

Objectives

This work package aims to gather and integrate detailed quantitative and qualitative case studies evidence on anchor firms and their roles in orchestrating cohesive regional development. The resulting data will integrated with the other work packages and used to build and test theoretical hypotheses. A particular focus of this work package will be the production of policy relevant data to contribute towards improved policy formulation while informing academic theory building. The policy focus will be served by improved understand of the reasons behind anchor firms’ qualitatively different contributions to local and trans-local development.

The specific objectives of the work package are the following:

  • Through a integrated process of data collection and hypothesis formulation and testing, to gather detailed, validated data on the causal factors that influence the qualitatively differences between anchor firms in their impact of regional development and external capability building.
  • To develop and validate new methods for identifying and characterising anchor firms within regions through the use of network analysis, qualitative data collection and quantitative comparisons. This will be used to develop defining SMART indicators of anchor firm characteristics that can be linked to regional development performance.
  • Develop improved frameworks for policy formulation based on rigorous empirical evidence and robust theorising through a process of comparing and contrasting different theoretical frameworks.
  • Generate and validate analytical frameworks for understanding the underlying causes of qualitative differences in anchor firms’ influence on regional development through analysis of anchor firms characteristics, environmental contingencies and patterns of interaction.
  • Provide improved data on the competitive strategies and collaborative linkages between anchor firms and their local region in order to better understand how networks are orchestrated, how capabilities are built and disseminated and their relative costs and performance.

Description of work

Task 4.1 Review of Policy Literature and Identification of Existing Hypotheses on Causality

Review of existing literature and analysis of construct definitions and data sources in order to identify the existing hypotheses about the causes of qualitative differences in the role and behaviour of anchor firms, and the connections between such behaviour and cohesive regional development. This review will be done in close collaboration with work package 1.
Taxonomic exercise to position different literature, hypotheses and policy frameworks in relation to their inputs, causal hypotheses and policy aims.

Task 4. 2 Process Analysis and Detailed case studies of the processes used by Anchor firms to orchestrate regional capabilities and their relationship to external contingencies and policies

Conduct a series of initial pilot studies to validate data gathering methods, and ensure that the data being generated is both valid and useful. Initial pilot results will be presented and subject to criticism by advisory panel and lead researchers of the other work-packages.
Very detailed case studies of anchor firms within the 7 regions, using the semi-structured research methodology developed from task 1:

  • Bologna: Biotech/Biomedical
  • Kaiserslautern: Biotechnology
  • Brighton: Biotechnology
  • Grenoble: Nanoelectronics
  • Catania: Nanoelectronics
  • Katowice: Heavy industry/Aerospace
  • Ukraine: Aerospace

The case studies will gather evidence on technological focus of region, large firms, specific anchor firms and their network of suppliers. This will be gather through patent analysis and categorised using the Pavitt Taxonomy and product life-cycle frameworks. This will be linked to analysis of formal, informal alliances and inter-organisational linkages (through databases, for example, RECAP & Biocentury in biotech, and press release searches, and company filings). The regions will be analysed using established methods in economic geography but with a particular focus on regional tax-breaks and other financial and non-financial policies used to attract and influence anchor firms.
Detailed process analysis of causal influences on qualitative differences in anchor firms’ influence on regional capability orchestration. This will involve historical investigation of the dynamics of anchor firm and regional diversity and the way in which contingent characteristics of both interact, and more importantly fail to interact to generate regional capability building.

Task 4.3 Develop and test qualitative methods for identifying and categorising Anchor firms

Having formulated and characterised causal factors and characteristics of both regions and anchor firms that are hypothesised to influence regional development in task 1, and then gathered detailed process data on task 2, this task will evaluate the different methods to identify the most useful measures for identifying anchor firms. We would expect that this will probably result in a simple policy-friendly taxonomy that will be developed and piloted with policy makers.

Task 4.4 Development of New Policy Frameworks for encouraging cohesive regional development

This final task will integrate the previous three to develop policy-friendly outputs, of the sort that SPRU specialises in, in order to help build capabilities within both supra-national, national and regional organisations. Drawing on best practice in the policy development literature, we will specifically craft the outputs to be user-friendly, drawing on interviews with regional development agencies and industries bodies conduced in task 2, to develop usable policy tools and frameworks. We expect, given the current state of best practice, that these will be used to identify both firm and regional contingencies, and then allow mis-match analyses in order to understand: 1) the problems that the region faces, 2) the contribution that anchor firms can make, 3) what would make the region more attractive to anchor firms, 4) what would influence their behaviour in relation to regional development, and 5) how regional policy might influence that behaviour.