Influence of Governance on Regional Research Network Performance

Public policy is clearly committed to supporting research as a driving force in regional development. However, few studies have yet to analyze the relationship between governance and performance of research group networks. An analysis of 11 multidisciplinary research networks containing 83 research groups revealed that governance does in fact influence network performance. Specifically, high-performance networks are characterized by relationships having strong ties, formalized structures and powerful groups with low centrality. These findings suggest the need to improve network consolidation and to better define decision-making bodies in order to ensure proper collective operation.