Abstract
The Second Phase of the Science and Technology Basic Plan plays up regional clusters as a type of innovation mechanism where university-industry collaboration is expected to effectively work in regional basis. This paper examines what type of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can play a role of promoters of university-industry collaboration in industry side and consequently of formation of regional clusters. "Product-developing SMEs" defined as SMEs that can develop and sell products designed by them own can play such a role. This characteristic of product-developing SMEs is demonstrated by a statistical analysis using data from TAMA (Technology Advanced Metropolitan Area), a typical case of industrial cluster formation initiative in the western metropolitan area. We should pay more attention to such product-developing SMEs to promote the formation of regional clusters.
