(Posted 10-13-99)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Service Contact: Steve Gilliam, 336-334-5371

UNCG ECONOMIST RECEIVES NSF GRANTS

GREENSBORO--Dr. Albert N. Link, professor of economics at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has received two grants from the National Science Foundation totaling $126,569 to support his research on science and technology policy over the next two years.

His first study, which received funding of $68,224, will focus on domestic and international science parks. Known for his work documenting the history and economic development consequences of North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, Link will analyze the infrastructure nature of science parks throughout the United States and Europe in an effort to formulate recommendations for best practices in establishing and managing them.

According to Link, "Federal and state policy planners in the United States, Europe, and in Asia-Pacific economies are looking toward science parks as a catalyst not only to foster regional growth but also to stimulate the competitiveness of existing industry."  Link, who has consulted for several industrial nations on this topic, expects that the results of his research will form the basis for a new era of science and technology policy planning.

The second study, funded for $58,345, will investigate the use of intellectual property protection mechanisms in U.S. companies.  Link said that very little is known about the ways that high technology companies that cooperate in research transfer their technology to one another.

"This is an important area of study since policy makers are continually considering alternative mechanisms to stimulate the sharing of knowledge while maintaining a competitive environment," said Link. This research complements Link's previous investigations into the field of joint venture activity, and is expected to lead to Congressional policy directives on this subject.

Link is editor of the international Journal of Technology Transfer. He has been an advisor on science and technology policy to the governments of Canada, Austria, New Zealand, France, Korea and Germany. He came to UNCG in 1982 and was previously head of the Department of Economics and director of the Master of Business Administration program  in the Bryan School of Business and Economics.

He has served on advisory panels for the NSF, National Academy of Sciences and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He is author of numerous scholarly books in the area of technological change and economic growth. He has also received several grants from the NSF and the U.S. Department of Commerce. He holds the Ph.D. degree from Tulane University and earlier served on the faculty of Auburn University before coming to UNCG.
 

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