Does participation in international R & D networks enhance local dynamism? Researcher level aspects from Turkey


Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, İktisat Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2013

Öğrenci: HÜSEYİN GÜLER

Danışman: ERKAN ERDİL

Özet:

This study elaborates on the involvement of Turkish ICT researchers in Framework Programme 6 (FP6) networks and in other TÜBİTAK funded international collaboration projects with regard to the question of whether global pipelines enhance the local buzz. It provides a novel taxonomy to identify the degree of globalisation versus localisation of ICT scientists in Turkey. Based on international and national project portfolios of Turkish ICT researchers who participated in FP6 and other international projects between 2003 and 2006, four groups were formed in terms of their degree of local or global foci. For the period of 2007–2013, global and local performance of the same population was traced with respect to its international or national project density, publication output, involvement in decision making processes on academic project funding, and contribution to R&D capacity development in the private sector. Findings of the quantitative part of the study show that globally and locally integrated researchers seem to be the most productive actors in the Turkish innovation ecosystem. Considered as the best international collaborators from a country at the periphery of EU R&D networks, they are contributing significantly to the local research base. Policy recommendations at the micro, meso, and macro levels suggest that there is a need for performance tracking of researchers. Based on evidence from such chronological data analysis, new policy tools beyond the one-size-fits-all approaches can be applied, highlighting the issues such as heterogeneity, career levels, national priorities and capacity requirements of the research ecosystem.