Regional development agencies and innovation activities: A survey in Erzurum sub-region

The aim of this study is to investigate innovation activities in companies which received financial support from regional development agencies. In this direction, the study is based on a field survey applied to companies in Erzurum sub-region which benefited from the financial support programs of the North Eastern Anatolia Development Agency between 2013-2015. Innovation activities of the companies, sources of information used for these activities and contribution of the agency support to the innovation activities are investigated in the study. In addition, the reasons why companies apply to agency support, the changes that have taken place after the agency support and collaboration activities with other corporations in the project process have been examined; and the problems experienced by the companies have been assessed gradually. Data set is analyzed by descriptive statistics, Single Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Field research results indicate that companies; have made access to new markets (%86.9), have made change in the production processes (%81.5), have produced a new product/service (%71.1) and have made organizational innovation (%52.6). In addition, companies expressed that development agency support had a significant contribution in the realization of innovation activities (%89.5).