This study empirically examines the impact of the R&D Technology Commercialization Support Program in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province on the performance of local SMEs. Although technology commercialization has become an crucial driver of r...
This study empirically examines the impact of the R&D Technology Commercialization Support Program in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province on the performance of local SMEs. Although technology commercialization has become an crucial driver of regional industrial competitiveness, rigorous quantitative evaluations of regional support policies remain limited. Using performance data from approximately 139 SMEs supported between 2022 and 2024, this study analyzes the structural relationships among economic performance (sales growth), social performance (employment increase), and technological performance (patent acquisition).
Independent variables include the amount of government support, private matching funds, and the type of support, while control variables comprise firm size, years of operation, number of employees, region, and venture certification. Using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis conducted with SPSS, the study finds that the amount of government support has a modest but positive effect on economic performance. In contrast, private matching funds significantly contribute to social performance, particularly employment growth. Notably, R&D-linked support type demonstrates the strongest association with technological outputs, confirming its effectiveness in enhancing innovation performance. Additionally firm characteristics were found to moderate performance outcomes.
The findings substantiate that regional R&D commercialization programs generate multifaceted impacts across technological, economic, and social domains. Accordingly, policy implications include the need for differentiated support strategies tailored to firm characteristics, expanded incentives for private investment, and strengthened linkages among technology development, prototyping, and commercialization phases.