This chapter which is in line with the global pipelines-local buzz framework addresses the collaboration dynamics of ICT researchers from universities of an emerging economy who are mostly benefiting from national funds and do not have dominating or core roles in international R&D networks. It provides a novel taxonomy to identify the degree of globalisation versus localisation of ICT scientists in Turkey.

1. 203
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Chapter 9
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8598-7.ch009
Does Participation in
International R&D Networks
Enhance Local Dynamism?
ABSTRACT
This chapter which is in line with the global pipelines-local buzz framework addresses the collaboration
dynamics of ICT researchers from universities of an emerging economy who are mostly benefiting from
national funds and do not have dominating or core roles in international R&D networks. It provides a
novel taxonomy to identify the degree of globalisation versus localisation of ICT scientists in Turkey.
BasedoninternationalandnationalprojectportfoliosofTurkishICTresearcherswhoparticipatedinFP6
and other international projects between 2003 and 2006, four groups (gatekeepers, externally oriented
researchers, internally oriented researchers, inactive researchers) were formed in terms of their degree of
local or global focus. For the period of 2007–2013, the performance of the same population was traced
with respect to its international or national project density, publication output, involvement in decision
making processes on academic project funding, and contribution to R&D capacity development in the
private sector. Findings show that that most of the researchers who are engaged in international collabo-
ration are also locally active and they seem to be the most productive actors within the four groups. The
study also implies that having a strong project portfolio at both national and international levels relates
to having a work experience abroad after the PhD fulfilment and being at a university with advanced
research ecosystem in Turkey. This chapter concludes with key policy recommendations, highlighting
the need on moving beyond one-size-fits-all policies which should take in to account the heterogeneity,
differentiation on career levels, national priorities and capacity requirements of the research ecosystem.
Hüseyin Güler
Bahçeşehir University, Turkey
Erkan Erdil
Middle East Technical University, Turkey

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Does Participation in International R&D Networks Enhance Local Dynamism?

INTRODUCTION
The particular combination of local buzz and
globalpipelinesgeneratesadynamicofknowledge
creation within a research ecosystem (Bathelt,
2007).Inlinewiththeglobalpipelines-localbuzz
framework this study looks from the perspective
of universities at emerging economies which
are participating in international R&D networks
formed to conduct frontier research in advanced
technology fields. It gives clues about research
dynamics of emerging economy universities that
are mostly benefiting from national funds and do
not have dominating or core roles in international
R&Dnetworks.Barnard,Cowan&Müller(2012)
analyses global pipelines-local buzz at researcher
level on scientific publications, this paper in ad-
dition to that adds project based analysis to the
literature while also other types of contributions
to the local system are also has been taken into
account. This type of analysis can be considered
as a unique approach, because in fields like bio-
technology, pharmaceutical and information and
communication technology (ICT) collaboration
networks are at the core of new knowledge gen-
eration where they are dominated mostly by the
advanced country organization, that’s why most
studiesareaboutdynamicsofdevelopedcountries.
Considering the lack of studies about research
dynamics of emerging economy universities, it is
also aimed to contribute to the debate about the
internationalization of R&D by putting emphasis
on the local impact of international collaboration
and derive practical policy recommendations at
micro, meso and macro levels.
With this paper we attempt to highlight the
significance of local buzz created by Turkish
researchers belonging to EU-funded ICT R&D
and other TÜBİTAK funded international col-
laboration projects. In other words, this paper is
about global pipelines’ effects on local buzz. The
paper documents the role of globally and locally
engaged researchers in the innovation system of
an emerging economy.
From evolutionary perspective of innovation,
research collaboration and external knowledge
flows are seen as important catalyzers for acquir-
ing new capabilities for innovative organizations
which cannot rely only on internal knowledge
base (Castellani, Zanfei, & Muendler, 2006). The
theoretical framework followed in this study is
basedoncontemporarystudiesoninnovationfrom
the perspective of evolutionary economics, the
core–periphery model of economic development
and recent literature on research networks and
sociology and organization of science in emerg-
ing economies. Following, Krugman’s core–pe-
riphery model of economic geography, this study
is grounded on local deployment of knowledge
gathered from international R&D networks and
based on the findings it tries to provide actionable
policy recommendations for the countries at the
periphery in order to enhance synergies between
local buzz and global pipelines.
Network literature implicitly treats the re-
searchers who are involved in different collabora-
tionactionsasgatewaysbetweendifferentprojects.
Such researchers may also transmit knowledge
gathered from international platforms to the lo-
cal level, which can enhance the local buzz. On
the other hand, rather than contributing to local
knowledge spillovers, these gateways may serve
totransferlocaltacitknowledgeintointernational
forums, which may have limited or no positive ef-
fectsonthelocalcompetitivenesslevel.Asathird
option,ratherthanactingasgatewaysbridgingthe
local and the global, they may have limited local
connections while preferring to interact mostly
with global players and transmitting all of their
gains from international collaboration projects to
other foreign partners.
In the light of these statements, the paper is
organizedaroundthefollowingresearchquestions:
Within the framework of Turkish participation
in EU FP6 IST projects and other international
collaboration projects does participation in in-
ternational R&D networks create local buzz in
Turkey? How can the profiles of participant Turk-

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