Knowledge gatekeepers and technology districts development: a system dynamics modelling

This paper investigates the role, played by a specific economic actor, namely the knowledge gatekeeper, to improve the technology districts' innovative capability. In particular, a system dynamics model is developed both to analyse the knowledge relationships established by the gatekeeper with the district's actors and to describe how these relationships can affect the development of the whole district. These relationships are analysed according to a proximity-based approach, based on the notions of organisational and Technological Proximity (TP). Finally, a simulation is provided to study the influence of the two proximity dimensions between the gatekeeper and the local actors on the technological knowledge creation and, then, on the district innovative capability.