ABSTRACT
This chapter examines five case studies, and illustrates various aspects of industrial-academic interaction: Cambridge Science Park (CSP), Heriot-Watt Research Park, the Alvey Programme, Salford University Industrial Company (SUIC), and NEWTECH (Clwyd) Ltd. CSP was opened in 1973 and was one of the first science parks to be developed in Britain, and therefore because of its maturity it provides a valuable case study for assessing the role of science parks more generally in fostering local and national economic development objectives. Heriot-Watt University established its science park in 1972 with the prime objective of encouraging the transfer of academic research into marketable industrial processes, products, and services. The Alvey Programme is a five-year programme of collaborative research in the enabling technologies of information technology. SUIC sells technology and consultancy services to industrial, commercial, and other organizations in a wide variety of areas. Clwyd Technics Ltd was set up to commercially exploit the educational microelectronics products of North East Wales Institute.
