Open Innovation and the Role of Hubs of Knowledge in a Regional Context

We investigate R&D collaborations of firms in a regional context, and we try to assess how and how much small and medium companies rely on external source of knowledge, as prescribed by the open innovation framework, to carry on research activity and pursue innovations. Results show that firms make use of hubs of knowledge represented by public research institutions. Moreover, firms can be grouped according to the sophistication of the knowledge procurement strategy. “Smarter” firms acquire knowledge not only from local hub but also from sources outside the region. Finally, we show that public subsidies do play a role in shaping such procurement strategies.