MOT Seminar: "Universities and Regional Technological Specialization"

Date & Time:
Thursday, February 5, 2026, 14:00–16:00 (JST)

Venue:
Tamachi Campus, Campus Innovation Center (CIC), Room 913 and Online (Zoom)

Eligibility:
Students, faculty members, researchers, and practitioners interested in the topic
(Open to both internal and external participants)

Capacity:
On-site: Approximately 40 participants
Online: No limit
Advance registration is required for both on-site and online participation.

Fee:
Free of charge

Language:
English

Seminar Abstract:
Universities are often seen as anchors of local innovation, but their impact on regional specialisation varies by context and technology. This seminar draws on three patent-based studies of Europe and Italy to explore university–industry co-evolution and policy levers.
First, four regimes emerge—convergent vs. divergent trajectories and university push vs. region pull—with convergence stronger near large STEM universities and regional pull prevailing where private R&D is robust.
Second, university entry into new patent fields boosts regional specialisation, with effects moderated by technological proximity and absorptive capacity.
Third, evidence from Italy shows that university patent stocks causally enhance local industrial specialisation, with spillovers to neighbouring regions and trade-offs between global engagement and local anchoring.

Speaker:
Dr. Federico Caviggioli is Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Production Engineering (DIGEP) at Politecnico di Torino. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Management of Technology from the University of Bergamo.
His research focuses on the economics of innovation, technology transfer, patent data intelligence, and the gender gap in innovation. He has published in leading journals such as Research Policy, Technovation, Industry & Innovation, and Technological Forecasting and Social Change.
He teaches Business Economics, Accounting, Data Engineering, and Technology Management to undergraduate and Ph.D. students. He currently serves as Vice Coordinator of the Production and Management Engineering field at Politecnico di Torino.

Registration: Please register in advance via the following form: https://forms.gle/U5c8CkAptnvZyZaU8 Registration Deadline: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 17:00 (JST) The Zoom link will be sent to registered online participants after the registration deadline.