Research University And The Evolution Of U.S National Innovation System

The higher education institutions, especially the research universities, have become the key factor in the process of building national innovation system for developed countries. Compared with other institutions, research universities show very import functions in several areas:firstly, there can be no replacement for research university on the role of training qualified personnel, particularly innovative talents. Secondly, the accumulative effect and the diffusive effect of research university can attract much more government sponsored research programs, meanwhile, the innovation capacity has been improved. Thirdly, the linkage among different actors in national innovation system can be strengthen by research universities in multiple ways like the invention of original research, technology transfer, licensing, research partnership with industry sectors.Started from1990s, research universities have involved in complicated ways in the development of national innovation system---not only provide the basic research in innovation system, but constructing the complex innovation network by interacting between universities and industry sectors. Throughout the analysis of status, functions, influence which research universities play in national innovation system, examine the correlation of different main body in U.S national innovation system, this research aims to make comprehensive understanding in the evolution of U.S national innovation system and how research university make a better contribution in the economic and social transition of a country/region. This research contained seven parts, which includes:The forward introduced the backgrounds of this research and analyze the related concept of innovation, listed general research questions, then pointed out why these questions were so important.Chapter1induced the research origin and status of innovation theory. This part focuses on the analysis of development of innovation theory in the past years, it includes the innovation of Schumpeter, the extension of innovation concept, the classification of innovation, the measurement of innovation, innovation system theory.Chapter2expatiated the formation and development of U.S national innovation system and divided it into three stages:the rudiment of national innovation system(from the beginning of20th century to the second world war), the formation of national innovation system(from mid-20th century to the end of1980s), the change and future trends of U.S national innovation system(since1990s).After depict the whole development of U.S national innovation system, chapter3made a literal functional analyze of research university in national innovation system. What new characters and functions have been endowed in the past history? In basic research areas, how do research universities motivate the development of U.S national innovation system? This part also demonstrated the relationship between innovation activities and innovation diffusion of research universities.Chapter4discussed how the knowledge production of research universities have established connection with the interdisciplinary, diversification of innovation system. The triple helix model has been introduced to explain the increasing of interaction among multiple organizations in the innovation system. In particularly, the emergence of innovation cluster and university related research park represent how research university build direct and indirect interactions with industry sectors, government, independent research institutions and other social organizations.Chapter5demonstrate a concrete example on how research university contribute on regional innovation system. As a leading research university in US, the university of Wisconsin, Madison was famous for the "Wisconsin Idea". Today, UW-M has established a complex collaboration mechanism to strengthen linkages among universities, industry sectors, governments, associations and other institutions.Chapter6summarized this research in different perspects:the nature of competition which exists in U.S research university, the spirit of capitalism in the development of U.S research universities, the character of creative destruction in innovation. Finally, based on the above analysis, what shaped today's U.S research universities with the evolution of national innovation system.