Technopole

Key takeaways

Technopole belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Technopole to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Technopole from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A technopole, commonly referred to as a high-technology cluster or tech hub, refers to a center of high-tech manufacturing and information-based quaternary industry. The term was coined by Allen J. Scott in 1990 to describe regions in Southern California which showed a rapid growth in high technology fields. This term now has a broader scope to describe regions worldwide dedicated to technological innovation. Such regions can be centers of rapid economic and technological growth as a result of agglomeration effects. Technopoles are one type of industry cluster. The components of a technopole usually comprise local firms, universities, financial institutions and public research organizations. Technopoles may be developed by the private sector or by the co-operation or partnership between the public and private sectors. Governments of all levels promote them as a panacea for economies hurt by economic restructuring. Large corporations and small business operate within these high technology areas. Networking between companies is important and made possible by technological advances and facilitate technology transfer. Technopoles are combined technological and business centers specifically established around recognized educational and research institutes.

Definitions

There are several definitions for "technopole" in an international context, whereby focus is usually placed on the existence of four factors:

First, a critical mass of R&D facilities which carry out research in one or more relevant areas and which have established the appropriate infrastructure. Second, the immediate spatial vicinity to university institutions is essential in order to link research to instruction. The third criterion is the presence of competent companies as source of demand for R&D competence and "users" of know-how generated at the Technopole on the international market. Finally, there must be sufficient interest to provide investments to enable technology-oriented start-ups and spin-offs. Factors important to investors include:

Good buildings and building sites An attractive environmental setting Excellent highway access and proximity to an international airport Excellent international tele-communication facilities Good quality housing for managers and, Easy access to a substantial pool of well trained and motivated labour Technopoles are also vulnerable to global trends and can dissolve quickly if they are not properly supported. Technopoles have to be flexible and willing to experiment with new ideas to be seen as a global competitor. Governments and corporations tend to continue to heavily invest in technopoles in hopes of gaining economic prosperity.

Technopoles in the world

Africa Cape Town is considered Africa's tech hub. Nearby Stellenbosch also features a collection of tech companies. Furthermore, regions of Pretoria, Johannesburg, and East Rand have concentrations of R&D facilities.

Asia In Japan, technopoles were planned and developed by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Since 1983, there have been over 25 technopoles in Japan as designated by MITI. Some of the most successful technopoles in Japan include Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Kumamoto. UNIDO VietNam (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) has compiled in 2015 a list of Technopoles in the ASEAN Economic Community in a report titled "Economic Zones in the ASEAN" written by Arnault Morisson.

Australia In Australia, technopoles include the Technology Precinct Bentley WA, La Trobe Research and Development Park, Ballarat Technology Park VIC, The Australian Technology Park NSW, Brisbane Technology Park QLD, Tasmanian Technopark and Adelaide University Research Park SA.

Europe Technopoles in Germany include the IT-Cluster Rhine-Main-Neckar, the largest IT cluster in Europe. Technopoles in the United Kingdom include counties such as Berkshire and Hampshire in the "Western Crescent" west of London, and Hertfordshire to the north. In London, East London Tech City is a notable technology cluster. The area around Cambridge is known as 'Silicon Fen' due to the concentration of software and other technology companies and the University of Cambridge's research output. Manchester in North West England has attracted a number of national and international technology companies, along with a growing startup sector. In France, there are technopoles located near Rennes, Grenoble, Toulouse, Lyon and Paris. The first French technopole is Sophia Antipolis, near the cities of Nice, Cannes and Antibes. An important technology cluster is "Paris-Saclay", consisting of universities, research centers and start-ups. Writer Joel Stratte-McClure of Time Magazine described a technopole in southern France called Sophia Antipolis which had 1,200 companies in a sprawling development twenty minutes away from the airport in Nice. According to the report, the technopole featured hiking trails and jogging paths and riding stables and golf courses and signs which indicate the names of various species of plants, and with street names which were "slightly pretentious" such as "Rue Dostoevski" and "Rue Albert Einstein" criss-crossing rolling hills with pine trees. There are reflecting pools, although the layout was criticized as somewhat "confusing" for taxi drivers. The Technopole Program of Lower Austria is a trendsetter in implementing the linkage of education/training, research and business. Lower Austria's three Technopoles are already setting international standards: Technopole Krems in the fields of biotech and regenerative medicine, Technopole Tulln in environmental biotechnology and agrobiotechnology, Technopole Wiener Neustadt in microsystems engineering, tribology and medical systems technology. In Italy, a new technopole called Human Technopole and specialized in life sciences is under development in Milan. The most important Italian technology park (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, AREA Science Park, ELETTRA) with basic research is located in Trieste.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Technopole

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Technopole claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Technopole before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Technopole ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Technopole

In research: Technopole appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Technopole in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Technopole is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Economic geography, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Technopole outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Technopole in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Technopole means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Technopole out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Technopole in simple terms?

A technopole, commonly referred to as a high-technology cluster or tech hub, refers to a center of high-tech manufacturing and information-based quaternary industry. The term was coined by Allen J.

Why does Technopole matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Technopole?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Technopole.