The regulatory role of establishment and structure and the intermediate role of innovation and efficiency on the impact of technoparks on regional development

The main subject of the research is constituted by technoparks, which are the most important interfaces of University-Industry Collaboration. Within the framework of path dependency theory, it has been attempted to understand whether technoparks work effectively and whether they are correctly structured in our country. The research aims to investigate which function of technoparks contributes the most to regional development, whether the location and structure of technoparks have a regulatory role in their impact on regional development, and whether innovation and efficiency play an intermediary role. Two technoparks located in Konya, Konya Technopark, and Innopark, were selected as the sample. In the research, which benefited from the mixed analysis method, surveys were conducted with 187 company officials from two technoparks, and face-to-face interviews were conducted with a total of 24 people, including six managers and six company officials. Quantitative data were subjected to multiple regression and hierarchical regression analysis using the SPSS program, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis using the MAXQDA program. According to the findings obtained, it has been understood that technoparks contribute significantly to regional development, and in this contribution, innovation and efficiency play an intermediary role, while the location and structure of technoparks do not have a regulatory effect. This result was evaluated in detail with the information obtained from the interviews. According to quantitative analyses, it was observed that technoparks contributed to regional development mostly through the consulting function, while according to qualitative analyses, they contributed through the University-Industry Collaboration function. In the interviews, the opinions and suggestions of technopark managers and company officials about what needs to be changed and regulated in technoparks were listened to, and important information was obtained. It has been understood that communication, interaction, and cooperation in technoparks in our country need to be intensified and restructured within a good ecosystem framework. Key Words: University-Industry Cooperation, Technopark, Regional Development, Innovation, Path Dependency Theory.