Eunhee sohn

Abstract

Prior research has found that research productivity and trajectory of academic scientists are influenced by the local social and economic context, but we still know little about the individual and organizational determinants that influence the responses of academic scientists to their local industry environment. Building upon the literature on geographic frictions and ability sorting, I propose that local industry environment induces more commercial and applied research by academic scientists with limitations in geographic reach. I find support for this argument using a matched sample of plant biologists in the context of agricultural biotechnology research. Being located within 50 miles from major industry R&D locations increased academic scientists' commercial and applied research output, compared to their non-industry-colocated controls. The increase is primarily driven by less productive, female, late-career and land-grant researchers, whose research activity is more geographically bounded and who are less likely to switch institutions. Consistent with the argument that local industry environment may provide a low-cost opportunity for exploration, these types of researchers exhibit a relative decrease in average collaboration distance and a relative increase in publications that are new to them.