An Industrial Complex is a combination of the university and the industrial cluster. This study aims to analyze the effect of the Mechatronics Convergence Industrial Complex Campus on Changwon Cluster. This study was conducted based on the survey of the firms which are participants in the Mechatronics Convergence Industrial Complex Campus Project. The main findings are as follows.
1) There are two problems in the Industrial Complex Campus. One is that the Industrial Complex Campus shows an uneven distribution in South Korea. More than half of the Industrial Complex Campuses are located in metropolitan cities. The other is the inefficiency of cultivating programs of human resources. The program, the cultivating of human resources, has similar programs with other policy agendas.
2) The Mechatronics Convergence Industrial Complex Campus, in the Changwon National University, aims to reinforce capabilities of the firm and to cultivate human resources for workers at the company and students at the university. Therefore, the Mechatronics Convergence Industrial Complex Campus operates programs of the supporting of enterprises, the cultivating of human resources, and the cooperation of research development.
3) Many of the Companies, which are participants in the project, are small and medium-sized businesses with more than ten years of establishment, and they need to develop new technologies. Also, they abandoned the technological development due to the insufficiency of funds, difficulty in securing research and production workforce, although they recognize the necessity of the technological development.
4) Many of companies, which are participants in the project, are satisfied with the program of the supporting of enterprises, on the other hand, they are unsatisfied with the program of the cultivating of human resources and the cooperation of research development. Also, They have evaluated that the primary factors of difficulties in participating in the programs are the lack of funds and investigations reproductions.
5) The evaluation of the Mechatronics Convergence Industrial Complex Campus, in the Changwon National University, shows that the project helps to secure the R&D capability, the supporting the government policy, and the enhancement of the networking among the companies in Changwon Industrial Cluster. However, the project has a little impact on innovation in enterprises and Changwon Cluster in term of cultivation of the human resource, the higher value-added business, and the strengthening of informal networks.
The main policy recommendations which are based on the above analysis for the promoting of Industrial Complex Campus are as follows.
1) It is necessary to change the programs of cultivating the human resources in the Industrial Complex Campus. The programs may be a waste of budget due to the redundant program with other policy agendas.
2) The period of the project should be changed from three years to longer years. By promoting the Industrial Complex Campus Policy as a long-term, it will be possible to improve the productivity and profitability of the industrial cluster.
3) It is necessary to establish a supporting financial system for the innovation of companies in Changwon Cluster. Most of the companies have abandoned experiencing in technology development due to the lack of funds. Also, the bank loan system and the government support system to solve the stringency of capital as companies are weak in the Changwon Cluster.