1. Introduction
1.1 Definition and classification of technology parks
A technology park is a scientific, technological and technical base for implementing innovational projects. A tech-park is often a property complex, which includes a research institute, a business centre, an exhibition area and many service facilities.
According to International Association of Technology Parks, a technology park is an organization managed by specialists, the main goal of which is to increase the welfare of local community by promoting the culture of innovation and competitiveness among business and scientific organizations [4]. In order to achieve these goals, tech-parks stimulate and manage flows of knowledge and technologies between different universities, research institutes, businesses and markets. Technology parks make it easier for innovative companies to start and develop their business with the help of business incubators. There are also many other services rendered by tech-park specialists which can help innovative companies and startups to develop their business and achieve their goals.
The most popular type of a technology park is a university tech-park (a technology park established on the base of a university). University tech-parks are set up for commercializing accumulated scientific knowledge, increasing attractiveness of scientific work and ensuring the flow of new scientific knowledge for solving practical problems.
Tyumen State University also has a university tech-park, which specializes in the sphere of ecology and environmental management, as well as industrial technologies for the needs of the oil and gas complex. It includes a project-industrial department and a department of perspective development.
Another type of tech-parks is a regional industrial tech-park. It is created mostly for activating innovative processes in any sector of regional economy. Regional industrial tech-parks also provide many other services, for instance, legal support of projects, business consulting, certification, providing laboratories for conducting research, organization of educational events etc.
Tyumen-based West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas (see Pic. 1) can be an example of a regional industrial technology park. Currently, this tech-park as a supporter of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is promoting innovative projects of SMEs providing consulting advice on intellectual property issues, legal and accounting services, organizing exhibitions and other events, as well as training seminars and round tables for representatives of SMEs who deal with implementing innovations [1]. It includes a business incubator, an office space for tenants, an exhibit space and conference rooms [3].
Pic. 1: West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas
Business incubators are the third type of technology parks, which concentrates on the development of start-ups. Thus, the main goal of a business incubator is not profit, but providing needed resources and services for the development of innovative start-ups. This type of tech-parks also mostly appeals to universities because it can really help students and graduates to implement fresh knowledge and start their own business.
Another type of technology parks is an industrial tech-park. It represents a complex of objects of physical infrastructure for the organization of new production. Unfortunately, this type of tech-parks is not so common in Russia, but there are couple of projects in Saint Petersburg and Moscow regions, which are close enough to this type.
We should name such types of technology parks as network tech-parks and co-working spaces. These structures can significantly increase a specter of opportunities for many innovative companies seeking for new ideas and resources such as human capital.
2. Literature review
The role of technology parks in an entrepreneurship development has become a subject for scientific interest. The positive role of technology parks in the development of the SMEs sector is described in the work [1]. One of the sources of statistics providing the data on the West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas is The West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas’ report on new directions of activity from its official web site [3], [5]. There are also a lot of information about the current situation with technology parks in Russia and future plans of the government on technology parks’ development in the state programs of Russian Federation [4]. Statistic data regarding to the West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas’ performance in 2018 was provided in the report by Krylov G. B. and Pertsev S. B. [2].
3. Methods and materials
3.1 Objective of study
The main objective of the research is to find out what role technology parks play in an entrepreneurship development. Therefore, the West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas has been chosen as a base for the analysis as it is the only tech-park in Tyumen which can provide special services for business, such as legal and accounting services.
3.2 Methods of research
Two methods of collecting data have been applied in this study: a sociological research and an analytical research. The sociological research was conducted in the form of a survey. 34 respondents aged 16-70 were surveyed. The analytical research is based on the information from the reports about West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas’ performance in 2018 provided by the official web site of the Innovation Center.
3.3 Sociological research
A survey conducted in order to achieve the purpose of this research included the following questions:
- “Have you ever visited technology parks?”
- “Are you interested in visiting tech-parks?”
- What kind of events arranged by tech-park have been the most memorable?”
- “Have you ever used services provided by tech-parks for business?”
- “If you used the services provided by tech-parks, which services did you use?”
- “Did the activities carried out by tech-park have an impact on your business performance?”
- “Do you consider the West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas (Tyumen tech-park) a necessary structure for local entrepreneurship development?”
4. Results and discussion
4.1 The results of the survey
In total, 33 respondents were surveyed within this research. According to the results of the survey:
- most of the respondents are of 40-65 years old (42,4%);
- most of the respondents work in an organization, but are not executives (42,4%) (see Pic. 2);
- 66,7% of the respondents are interested in visiting a technology park;
- the same percentage have visited technology parks;
- 71,4% of the respondents consider the most memorable event organized by a technology park a conference or a forum, 47,6% - an exhibition;
- 81,8% of the respondents have never used services provided by tech-parks for business;
- the rest 18,2% mentioned that they have used services of free information on applicable taxes and fees (50%), providing an extract from the USRT – Unified State Register of Taxpayers – (33,3%) and account opening and cash management (33,3%);
- for 46,2 % of our respondents, who have their own business, events organized by technology parks have had a positive impact on their entrepreneurial activity, and for 53,8% of our respondents there was no particular impact (see Pic. 3);
Pic. 2: Occupation of the respondents
Pic 3: An impact of technology parks on entrepreneurial activity
In order to reply to the last question of the survey respondents had to evaluate the impact of the local technology park on entrepreneurship. 69,7 % of the respondents think that there is an impact and tech-parks’ activity is necessary for the development of local entrepreneurship. 27,3% of the respondents consider that the existence of the tech-park is not a necessary requirement for the development of entrepreneurship and 3% of the respondents prefer not to answer this question.
4.2 Analytical research
In 2018, the West-Siberian Innovation Center of Oil and Gas added 26 residents; the expert council of the tech-park considered 48 innovative projects 32 from which were approved. In total, about 60 small companies are implementing innovative projects in the business incubator of the tech-park currently [2]. 6 regional innovative enterprises were the recipients of subsidies for the sum of more than 89 million rubles [5]. Among them are such companies as JSC “GMS Neftemash”, “GasWell Systems”, “Smart Si” and “Galaktion”. Mostly the companies from oil & gas, transport and construction sectors of the regional economy.
5. Conclusion
As we can see from the results of the survey, people do know about technology parks and events provided by these structures. What they do not know is that technology parks can also provide special services for business. Anyway, in general people believe that technology parks have an impact on the development of local entrepreneurship and it is mostly positive or neutral rather than negative. According to statistics, it is true.