De la academia a la industria: cómo los doctores contribuyen al conocimiento y a la innovación en distritos industriales de baja intensidad tecnológica
Barra lateral del artículo
Contenido principal del artículo
Resumen
Este estudio analiza cómo los doctores contribuyen a la creación de conocimiento, a los procesos de innovación y al desarrollo territorial en distritos industriales especializados en sectores de baja intensidad tecnológica. Mientras que la investigación previa se ha centrado predominantemente en entornos de alta tecnología e intensivos en I+D, este trabajo analiza un distrito textil tradicional en la Comunidad Valenciana (España), caracterizado por la presencia mayoritaria de empresas pertenecientes a sectores de baja y media intensidad tecnológica. A partir de 24 entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas a doctores y directivos empresariales, el estudio adopta un enfoque cualitativo interpretativo para analizar cómo ambos colectivos perciben la aportación de los doctores en contextos no académicos. Los resultados revelan narrativas contrapuestas. Algunos doctores experimentan una persistente brecha entre investigación y práctica y dificultades para traducir sus competencias académicas en impacto a nivel empresarial, mientras que otros actúan como agentes de cambio integrados que aprovechan las redes locales para fomentar la colaboración y la resolución de problemas. Del mismo modo, las percepciones de los empleadores oscilan entre el escepticismo respecto a la relevancia de la formación doctoral y el reconocimiento de su potencial transformador ante los retos de innovación y sostenibilidad.
El estudio demuestra que los doctores pueden reforzar la capacidad innovadora de los territorios de baja intensidad tecnológica cuando se fortalecen la confianza mutua, la adaptación contextual y los mecanismos de apoyo institucional. Estos hallazgos contribuyen a los debates sobre empleabilidad doctoral, transferencia de conocimiento y desarrollo regional al ampliar el análisis del impacto de los doctores más allá de los contextos de alta tecnología.
Detalles del artículo
Número
Sección
La versión digital de la revista se encuentra registrada bajo la licencia Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0. Por lo tanto, esta obra se puede reproducir, distribuir y comunicar públicamente sin propósitos comerciales, siempre que: 1. Se reconozca el nombre de los autores y la revista Tec Empresarial, y 2. No remezcle, transforme o haga una creación a partir del original.
Los autores conservan los derechos de autor y ceden a la revista el derecho de la primera publicación y de que pueda editarlo, reproducirlo, distribuirlo, exhibirlo y comunicarlo en el país y en el extranjero mediante medios impresos y electrónicos. Por otra parte, el autor declara asumir el compromiso sobre cualquier litigio o reclamación relacionada con derechos de propiedad intelectual, exonerando de responsabilidad a la Escuela de Administración de Empresas del Tecnológico de Costa Rica.
Cómo citar
Referencias
Aanerud, R., Morrison, E., Homer, L., Rudd, E., Nerad, M., & Cerny, J. (2007). Widening the lens on gender and tenure: Looking beyond the academic labor market. NWSA Journal, 19(3), 105-123. https://doi.org/10.1353/ff.2007.a224741
Aarnikoivu, M., Nokkala, T., Siekkinen, T., Etzkala, K., & Pekkola, E. (2019). Working outside academia? Perceptions of earlycareer, fixed-term researchers on changing careers. European Journal of Higher Education, 9(2), 172-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2018.1548941
Auriol, L. (2010). Careers of doctorate holders: employment and mobility patterns. OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers, No. 2010/04, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5kmh8phxvvf5-en.
Bagattolli, C., & Brandão, T. (2021). Contesting the mainstream narrative? A conceptual discussion on the politics of science, technology, and innovation from the periphery. Journal of Scientometric Research, 10(1s). https://doi.org/10.5530/jscires.10.1s.18
Baker, M. (Ed.). (1997). Interpretive approach. In Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies. Routledge.
Belso-Martínez, J.-A., Tomás-Miquel, J.-V., Expósito-Langa, M., & Mateu-García, R. (2020). Delving into the technical textile phenomenon: Networking strategies and innovation in mature clusters. The Journal of The Textile Institute, 111(2), 260-272. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2019.1631638
Benneworth, P., Coenen, L., Moodysson, J., & Asheim, B. (2009). Exploring the multiple roles of Lund university in strengthening Scania’s regional innovation system: Towards institutional learning? European Planning Studies, 17(11), 1645-1664. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654310903230582
Boix, R., & Galletto, V. (2009). Innovation and industrial districts: A first approach to the measurement and determinants of the I-District effect. Regional Studies, 43(9), 1117-1133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343400801932342
Boman, J., Barrioluengo, M. S., & van der Weijden, I. (2025). Determinants of the career pathways of doctorate holders: Evidence from eight European universities. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01418-y
Bonache, J., & Zárraga-Oberty, C. (2020). Compensating international mobility in a workers’ cooperative: An interpretive study. Journal of World Business, 55(5), 100975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2018.11.005
Boschma, R. A., & ter Wal, A. L. J. (2007). Knowledge networks and innovative performance in an industrial district: The case of a footwear district in the south of Italy. Industry and Innovation, 14(2), 177-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/13662710701253441
Bronzini, R., & Piselli, P. (2016). The impact of R&D subsidies on firm innovation. Research Policy, 45(2), 442-457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2015.10.008
Calvo Palomares, R., Sigalat Signes, E. & Aguado Hernández, J. A. (2020). La descoordinación territorial del desarrollo local: ¿demasiados actores para un mismo territorio? Una aproximación empírica a la realidad de la Comunitat Valenciana. https://doi.org/10.14198/OBETS2020.15.1.03.
Camarena-Gil, E., Garrigues, C., & Puig, F. (2020). Innovating in the textile industry: An uncoordinated dance between firms and their territory? Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.7341/20201632
Canolle, F. (2021). Careers in context: Analysis of career trajectories of PhD holders outside of academia. @GRH, 40(3), 37-60. https://doi.org/10.3917/grh.213.0037
Carregal-Castro, L., Alló-Pazos, M., & Longarela-Ares, Á. (2018). Investment in environmental protection in the textile sector: Influence of legal, environmental and economic-financial factors. ECORFAN-Mexico Journal, 9(21), 10-26.
Coad, A., & Rao, R. (2008). Innovation and firm growth in high-tech sectors: A quantile regression approach. Research Policy, 37(4), 633-648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2008.01.003
Compagnucci, L., Spigarelli, F., Perugini, F., & Iacobucci, D. (2025). Industrial doctorates for regional development: The case of Le Marche Region. Higher Education, 90(6), 1591-1611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01394-9
Cooke, P. (2018a). Generative growth with ‘thin’ globalization: Cambridge’s crossover model of innovation. European Planning Studies, 26(9), 1815-1834. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2017.1421908
Cooke, P. (2018b). Transversality, resilience and innovation: A qualitative regional analysis. Resilience, Crisis and Innovation Dynamics, 130-149. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781786432193.00014
Crespo, J., & Vicente, J. (2016). Proximity and distance in knowledge relationships: from micro to structural considerations based on territorial knowledge dynamics (TKDs). Regional Studies, 50(2), 202-219. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2014.984671
Cyranoski, D., Gilbert, N., Ledford, H., Nayar, A., & Yahia, M. (2011). Education: The PhD factory. Nature, 472(7343), 276-279. https://doi.org/10.1038/472276A
De Felice, F., Fareed, A. G., Zahid, A., Nenni, M. E., & Petrillo, A. (2025). Circular economy practices in the textile industry for sustainable future: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 486, 144547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144547
De Meyer, A. (2013). The future of doctoral education in business administration. Journal of Management Development, 32(5), 477-486. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621711311328264
de Oliveira Neto, G. C., Tucci, H. N. P., Correia, J. M. F., da Silva, P. C., da Silva, D., & Amorim, M. (2021). Stakeholders’ influences on the adoption of cleaner production practices: A survey of the textile industry. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 26, 126-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.10.001
Enders, J. (2004). Research training and careers in transition: A European perspective on the many faces of the Ph.D. Studies in Continuing Education, 26(3), 419-429. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037042000265935
Engel, J. S. (2015). Global clusters of innovation: Lessons from Silicon Valley. California Management Review, 57(2), 36-65. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2015.57.2.36
European Commission. (2006). Creating an Innovative Europe. European Commission.
European Commission. (2008). The concept of clusters and cluster policies and their role for competitiveness and innovation: Main statistical results and lessons learned. Europe INNOVA / PRO INNO Euro paper No9. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/c15445bd-8203-4d15-b907-56ea17a9876e
European Commission. (2019). The European Green Deal. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:b828d165-1c22-11ea-8c1f-01aa75ed71a1.0002.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
Germain-Alamartine, E., Ahoba-Sam, R., Moghadam-Saman, S., & Evers, G. (2021). Doctoral graduates’ transition to industry: Networks as a mechanism? Cases from Norway, Sweden and the UK. Studies in Higher Education, 46(12), 2680-2695. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1754783
Godin, B. (2006). The linear model of innovation: The historical construction of an analytical framework. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 31(6), 639-667. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162243906291865
Godin, B., & Vinck, D. (Eds.). (2017). Critical studies of innovation. Alternative approaches to the pro-innovation bias. Edward Elgar. https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/critical-studies-of-innovation-9781785366963.html
Gokhberg, L., Shmatko, N., & Auriol, L. (2016). Rethinking the doctoral degrees in the changing labor market context. In L. Gokhberg, N. Shmatko, & L. Auriol (Eds.), The Science and Technology Labor Force: The Value of Doctorate Holders and Development of Professional Careers (pp. 1-7). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27210-8_1
Haapakorpi, A. (2017). Doctorate holders outside the academy in Finland: academic engagement and industry-specific competence. Journal of Education and Work, 30(1), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2015.1119257
Hansen, T., & Winther, L. (2011). Innovation, regional development and relations between high- and low-tech industries. European Urban and Regional Studies, 18(3), 321-339. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776411403990
Hartog, M., Boschma, R., & Sotarauta, M. (2012). The impact of related variety on regional employment growth in Finland 1993–2006: High-Tech versus Medium/Low-Tech. Industry and Innovation, 19(6), 459–476. https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2012.718874
Hayter, C. S., & Parker, M. A. (2019). Factors that influence the transition of university postdocs to non-academic scientific careers: An exploratory study. Research Policy, 48(3), 556-570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2018.09.009
Heidenreich, M. (2009). Innovation patterns and location of European low- and medium-technology industries. Research Policy, 38(3), 483-494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2008.10.005
Herrera, L., & Nieto, M. (2016). PhD careers in Spanish industry: Job determinants in manufacturing versus non-manufacturing firms. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 113, 341-351. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TECHFORE.2015.09.019
Hirsch-Kreinsen, H. (2008). “Low-Technology”: A forgotten sector in innovation policy. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 3(3), 11-20. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242008000100002
Hirsch-Kreinsen, H., Jacobson, D., & Robertson, P. L. (2006). ‘Low-tech’ industries: Innovativeness and development perspectives—A summary of a European Research Project. Prometheus, 24(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/08109020600563762
Hoshino, A. (2023). Freeing up Japan’s PhD potential. Nature, 615(7951), S57-S57. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00659-0
Kirner, E., Kinkel, S., & Jaeger, A. (2009). Innovation paths and the innovation performance of low-technology firms—An empirical analysis of German industry. Research Policy, 38(3), 447-458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2008.10.011
Kuoppakangas, P., Suomi, K., Pekkola, E., Kivistö, J., Kallio, T., & Stenvall, J. (2021). Theoretical, practical and hybrid ex-academics: Career transfer stories. European Educational Research Journal, 20(1), 14-41. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904120915026
Kyvik, S., & Olsen, T. B. (2012). The relevance of doctoral training in different labour markets. Journal of Education and Work, 25(2), 205-224. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2010.538376
Larson, R. C., Ghaffarzadegan, N., & Xue, Y. (2014). Too many PhD graduates or too few academic job openings: The basic
reproductive number R0 in academia. Systems research and behavioral science, 31(6), 745-750. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2210
Lawton Smith, H. (2003). Local innovation assemblages and institutional capacity in local high-tech economic development: The case of Oxfordshire. Urban Studies, 40(7), 1353-1369. https://doi.org/10.1080/0042098032000084640
Lazzeretti, L., & Capone, F. (2017). The transformation of the Prato industrial district: An organisational ecology analysis of the co-evolution of Italian and Chinese firms. The Annals of Regional Science, 58(1), 135-158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-016-0790-5
Lee, N. (2011). Are innovative regions more unequal? Evidence from Europe. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 29(1), 2-23. https://doi.org/10.1068/c1046r
Li, G. Y., Ascani, A., & Iammarino, S. (2024). The material basis of modern technologies. A case study on rare metals. Research Policy, 53(1), 104914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2023.104914
Lundvall, B.-Å. (2023). Transformative innovation policy – lessons from the innovation system literature. Innovation and Development, 0(0), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/2157930X.2022.2158996
Lundvall, B.-Å., Johnson, B., Andersen, E. S., & Dalum, B. (2002). National systems of production, innovation and competence building. Research Policy, 31(2), 213-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(01)00137-8
Marini, G. (2022). The employment destination of PhD-holders in Italy: Non-academic funded projects as drivers of successful segmentation. European Journal of Education, 57(2), 289-305. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12495
Martin, B. R., & Etzkowitz, H. (2001). The origin and evolution of the university species. VEST, 13(3-4).
McAlpine, L., & Amundsen, C. (2009). Identity and agency: Pleasures and collegiality among the challenges of the doctoral journey. Studies in Continuing Education, 31(2), 109-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/01580370902927378
McAlpine, L., & Inouye, K. (2022). What value do PhD graduates offer? An organizational case study. Higher Education Research & Development, 41(5), 1648-1663. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1945546
McAlpine, L., Skakni, I., & Inouye, K. (2021). PhD careers beyond the traditional: Integrating individual and structural factors for a richer account. European Journal of Higher Education, 11(4), 365–385. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2020.1870242
Molina-Morales, F. X. (2001). Human capital in the industrial districts. Human Systems Management, 20(4), 319-331. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-2001-20405
Molina-Morales, F. X., Martínez-Cháfer, L., Capó-Vicedo, J., & Capó-Vicedo, J. (2022). The dynamizing role of universities in industrial clusters. The case of a Spanish textile cluster. The Journal of The Textile Institute, 113(11), 2318-2327. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2021.1980268
Ortega-Colomer, F. J. (2013). The evolution of the local role(s) of the university in a low-tech region. International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development, 12(1), 71-87. https://doi.org/10.1386/tmsd.12.1.71_1
Ortega-Colomer, F. J., Molina-Morales, F. X., & Lucio, I. F. de. (2016). Discussing the concepts of cluster and industrial district. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 11(2), 2. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242016000200014
Pablo-Hernando, S. (2022). No es oro todo lo que reluce: Precariedad y sobrecualificación en el mercado de trabajo de los doctores. Tendencias Sociales. Revista de Sociología, 9, 9. https://doi.org/10.5944/ts.2022.36439
Pedersen, H. S. (2015). Empirical essays on the labor market outcomes of PhD graduates. Forlaget Politica.
Pedersen, H. S. (2016). Are PhDs winners or losers? Wage premiums for doctoral degrees in private sector employment. Higher Education, 71(2), 269-287.
Pham, T. (2023). What really contributes to employability of PhD graduates in uncertain labour markets? Globalisation, Societies and Education, 0(0), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2023.2192908
Plöger, J. (2020). Employers stuck in place? Knowledge sector recruitment between regional embeddedness and internationalization. Regional Studies, 54(12), 1737-1747. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2020.1765231
Porta, D. D., & Keating, M. (2008). Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences. A pluralist perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Powell, K. (2015). The future of the postdoc. Nature, 520(7546), 144-147. https://doi.org/10.1038/520144A
Puig, F., & Marques, H. (2010). Territory, specialization and globalization in European manufacturing. Territory, Specialization and Globalization in European Manufacturing, 1-182. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203844809
Reguera-Alvarado, N., & Bravo, F. (2018). The impact of directors’ high-tech experience on innovation in low-tech firms. Innovation, 20(3), 223-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/14479338.2017.1407220
Roy, D., Jiménez López, M. D., & García Álvarez, M. E. (2025). Hires-PhD: A transversal skills framework for diversifying PhD employability. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04257-x
Sandberg, J. (2000). Understanding human competence at work: An interpretative approach. Academy of Management Journal, 43(1), 9-25. https://doi.org/10.2307/1556383
Saxenian, A. (1991). The origins and dynamics of production networks in Silicon Valley. Research Policy, 20(5), 423-437. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-7333(91)90067-Z
Schmierl, K., & Köhler, H. D. (2005). Organisational learning: Knowledge management and training in low-tech and medium low-tech companies. Perspectives on economic political and social integration. Journal for Mental Changes, 11, 171-221.
Sekuler, A. B., Crow, B., & Annan, R. B. (2013). Beyond labs and libraries: Career pathways for doctoral students. Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.
Sivertsen, G., & Meijer, I. (2020). Normal versus extraordinary societal impact: How to understand, evaluate, and improve research activities in their relations to society? Research Evaluation, 29(1), 66-70. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvz032
Smith, W. K., & Lewis, M. W. (2011). Toward a theory of paradox: A dynamic equilibrium model of organizing. Academy of Management Review, 36(2), 381–403. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2009.0223
Stokes, D. E. (1997). Pasteur’s quadrant: Basic science and technological innovation. The Brookings Institution.
Su, H.-N., & Moaniba, I. M. (2017). Does innovation respond to climate change? Empirical evidence from patents and greenhouse gas emissions. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 122, 49-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.04.017
Vence-Deza, X., & González-López, M. (2008). Regional concentration of the knowledge-based economy in the EU: Towards a renewed oligocentric model? European Planning Studies, 16(4), 557-578. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654310801983472