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Polarization of the Swedish University Sector Structural Characteristics and Positioning

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  • Daniel Ljungberg
  • Mattias Johansson
  • Maureen McKelvey

Abstract

Universities have increasingly been facing a focus on competition for research resources, not the least for external funding. This paper studies structural characteristics of the Swedish university sector and these characteristics relation to the propensity of universities to attract external research funding. The findings show a clear polarization of the sector into ‘Larger research and teaching intensive’ universities, accessing the lion’s share of external research funding, and ‘Smaller education dependent’ higher education institutions. Following from this, the paper discusses specialization and division of labor among universities, in relation to the ability to gain critical mass and excellence in research.

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  • Daniel Ljungberg & Mattias Johansson & Maureen McKelvey, 2008. "Polarization of the Swedish University Sector Structural Characteristics and Positioning," DRUID Working Papers 08-02, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:aal:abbswp:08-02
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    Cited by:

    1. Broström, Anders & McKelvey, Maureen, 2009. "How do Organisational and Cognitive Distances Shape Firms’ Interactions with Universities and Public Research Institutes?," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 188, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    2. Fridholm, Tobias, 2023. "Seizing the window of opportunity? The Swedish public innovation system’s support to private business in the early Covid-19 pandemic," Papers in Innovation Studies 2023/5, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    3. Zara Daghbashyan & Enrico Deiaco & Maureen McKelvey, 2014. "How and why does cost efficiency of universities differ across European countries? An explorative attempt using new microdata," Chapters, in: Andrea Bonaccorsi (ed.), Knowledge, Diversity and Performance in European Higher Education, chapter 9, pages iii-iii, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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