This study aims to empirically analyze the impact of the establishment of senior-friendly industrial complexes on the effectiveness of community-based services. Specifically, it compares and verifies the role of public-private partnerships in this eff...
This study aims to empirically analyze the impact of the establishment of senior-friendly industrial complexes on the effectiveness of community-based services. Specifically, it compares and verifies the role of public-private partnerships in this effectiveness, by type of partnership (public-led and private-led).
The research process consisted of the following steps. In Step 1, the theoretical concepts of senior-friendly industrial complexes and domestic and international policy cases were summarized. Cluster theory, public-private partnership theory, and metrics for measuring the effectiveness of linked services were examined through a literature review. In Step 2, a research model was established based on the theoretical framework, and key hypotheses were organized into causal relationships between independent, mediating, and dependent variables. In Step 3, measurement items were operationally defined for the questionnaire, all of which were structured on a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was distributed to practitioners and administrative officials at senior-friendly industry-related organizations (including public institutions, welfare facilities, and private companies) in Daegu City and used for the final analysis. The survey was conducted via mail and face-to-face from June 20 to July 8, 2025, targeting practitioners and administrative officials at senior-friendly industry-related organizations (including public institutions, welfare facilities, and private companies) in Daegu City. The final analysis included a survey.
The analysis results and policy implications are as follows:
1. Formative Factors for Senior-Friendly Industrial Complexes
To successfully build a convergence complex, four factors must be balanced: physical infrastructure, functional linkage systems, governance, and sustainable operation. The analysis revealed that in private-sector-led clusters, physical infrastructure had a significant positive effect on the effectiveness of linked services (path coefficient = 1.082, C.R. = 2.352, p<0.05), while in public-sector clusters, the effect was statistically insignificant. This means that while infrastructure, hinterland development, and market formation conditions are directly linked to performance in private-led clusters, institutional and organizational factors play a relatively large role in public-led clusters.
Therefore, policies require strategies that include expanding infrastructure, securing specialized personnel, and strengthening institutional support, as well as lowering entry barriers and encouraging private innovation. This reaffirms the notion that physical infrastructure is a prerequisite for cluster performance, as emphasized by Porter (1990) and subsequent studies.
2. The Influence of Public-Private Collaboration Capacity
Public-private collaboration capacity significantly impacted the effectiveness of linked services in both public- and private-led clusters (private-led: β=0.543, p<0.05 / public-led: β=0.543, p<0.01). This demonstrates that collaborative capabilities and partnership structures formed by various actors, including businesses, government, and local communities, are key factors in enhancing service efficiency, redundancy, continuity, and satisfaction. However, from a practical perspective, concrete implementations, such as local community networks, public-private policy linkage channels, and promotional and educational programs, are still lacking. Going forward, it is necessary to strengthen the foundation for practical cooperation, including establishing an integrated communication system, operating a pool of experts, and regularizing industry-academia-government collaboration forums.
3. Structural Relationships in the Effectiveness of Linked Services
A positive relationship between formative factors and public-private cooperation was confirmed in five of the ten hypotheses in the public-led model and in six pathways in the private-led model. This suggests that strengthening formative factors can enhance cooperative capacity and, ultimately, lead to improved linked service effectiveness. Consistent with prior research such as Provan & Milward (2001), the public-private partnership network was reaffirmed as a key mediating factor in the effectiveness of linked services in convergence complexes.
The Daegu City case demonstrates that a governance organization that integrates and coordinates individual facilities, such as the Certification and Industrialization Governance Center, the Senior Fusion Experience Center, and the Senior Town, is a prerequisite for establishing an effective linking system.
4. Strategies Considering Regional Characteristics and Human Resource Development
The analysis process confirmed that the importance of the human resource pool is not being sufficiently recognized and utilized. Particularly in a super-aged society, where the working-age population is decreasing and demand for services for the elderly is increasing simultaneously, fostering a specialized workforce without redundancy is key to sustainability.
To achieve this, customized training programs in collaboration with local universities and research institutes, strengthening field training, and establishing a system for human resource exchange between industry and academia are required. Furthermore, specialized strategies tailored to regional strengths and industrial structures should be implemented in parallel, rather than a uniform nationwide model. Support should be provided for the development of optimized complexes through central-local cooperation.
5. Path Differences Between Public-Private Partnerships and Integrated Welfare Projects
Multiple group analysis revealed that the path coefficients for the impact of public-private partnership capacity on the effectiveness of linked services were statistically significantly different between the two groups (χ² difference = 43.540, p<0.001). This suggests that the relationship between cooperative structure and performance unfolds differently depending on the leading entity. In public-led systems, cooperation between administrative departments plays a relatively important role, while in private-led systems, technology and knowledge management capabilities play a relatively important role.
Therefore, it is necessary to establish balanced collaborative capabilities and robust partnerships in both the public and private sectors. This should be accompanied by multifaceted improvement efforts, including strengthening expertise, improving delivery systems, and revitalizing evaluation systems.