Use me when you need me: firms´ co-creation output with universities and the economic cycle

Abstract

Background: In this paper, we explore two phenomena involved in the influence of the economic cycle on firms¿ scientific knowledge co-creation output. First, according to our University-Industry (U-I) cycle theory, economic growth will either encourage or discourage firms to co-create with universities. The second covers the scientific impact of U-I co-creation output in the economic cycle. Based on the assumption that collaboration with universities may result in successful knowledge cocreation output, we explore the impact of the economic cycle on U-I scientific knowledge co-creation output and its scientific impact. Our study raises the following hypotheses: (1) Economic growth increases the probability of firms¿ scientific knowledge co-creation output (during crises) until an inflection point after which that relationship becomes negative (during expansions). (2) Economic growth increases the scientific impact of firms¿ output (during crises) until an inflection point after which that relationship becomes negative (during expansions). (3) Collaboration with universities moderates (positively) the scientific impact of firms¿ output throughout the cycle. (4) The probability of U -I co-creation output flattens the curvilinear effect of economic growth on the scientific impact of that output.