Higher Education, Regional Capabilities, And Internationalization Of Mexican Firms
Keywords:
Higher education; regional development; innovation; human capital; business internationalization; university-industry collaboration.Abstract
The relationship between higher education, regional development, and business internationalization has become increasingly relevant due to the growing importance of knowledge, innovation, and organizational capabilities in international markets. This article aims to analyze and synthesize the academic literature concerning the contribution of higher education institutions to the development of regional capabilities that may support innovation and internationalization processes among Mexican firms. An integrative and analytical literature review was conducted through the identification, selection, and examination of national and international scientific literature addressing higher education, human capital, innovation, university-industry collaboration, knowledge transfer, organizational capabilities, and business internationalization. The review indicates that the literature broadly recognizes that universities can contribute to territorial development through human capital formation, knowledge generation and transfer, collaborative networks, and the strengthening of innovation capabilities. The reviewed evidence also suggests that business internationalization does not depend exclusively on commercial factors, but also on absorptive capacity, learning, innovation, management, and networking capabilities. The study concludes that higher education can represent an important component of regional internationalization ecosystems, although its contribution depends on effective articulation among universities, firms, and public actors.
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