The place and importance of technoparks in innovation economy: example of Turkey

Technoparks are the most important mechanism that serve for developing technology. Technoparks are bridge for collaborating university-industry-state-society. Altough, they have an importance technological progress of developed countries last 30-40 years, they has begun to develop after passing the Technology Development Regions Law in 2001 in Turkey. The aim of this study is to science, technology and innovation policies and actors that prepare the ground of configuration of technoparks in Turkey. After that, advantages and purposes of technoparks have been determine and in the light of informations the importance of technoparks have been revealed to formation of innovation-based economic system. In this study, first of all, the concepts of science, technology and innovation and historical development process of science and technology have been discussed in Turkey. Then, national innovation system have been described and actors of system and their roles have been given. Economic, social and cultural purposes of technoparks and the importance of R&D that technopark's major activity and technological innovation's role to abolish economical problems have been mentioned in the study. Finally, models have been became for dependent variable; high technologic export and independent variables; percentage of patent, number of technoparks, Project number of R&D to investigate economic effects of technoparks in Turkey. Excel regression analysis have been used for it and the conclusion of analysis, the place and importance of technoparks to provide sustainable economic development have been proven conclusively.