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The university-industry contractual research collaborations to solve complex problems jointly and create social and economic impact have long existed. Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) constitute formal technology intermediaries established to strengthen university-industry collaborations. However, the differences in needs and capabilities, individual and organizational backgrounds, and innovative learning modes inhibit effective partnerships. We develop a conceptual framework that explains how TTOs can catalyze these collaborations in Botswana. We use the grounded theory approach to examine the TTOs' challenges and opportunities in strengthening university-industry linkages. Notably, we employ inductive analysis to synthesize interview data and analyze it using domain analysis and componential analysis. Data were extracted from the university and industry policies and documents and interviews with 102 participants from two universities (42.2%) and three industry firms (57.8%) involved in technology transfer. We found 71.6% had excellent knowledge and experience and 28.4% had varying degrees of experience. While individual or independent consultancies (44.1%) lead, TTOs facilitate collaboration through contractual research agreements (32.4%), technology licensing (22.5%), and joint ventures (10.8%). This demonstrates entities' significant access to each other's financial and technological resources. This allows entities to generate new knowledge, equip each other with tools and competencies required to produce commercial products and new revenue streams. Most significantly, while Botswana has displayed remarkable progress toward strengthening its institutional support systems for technology transfer and commercialization, there is a shortage of IP expertise at universities and industries, possibly leading to low levels of IP awareness. Also, most institutions have incomplete IP strategies, and there is inadequate administration and enforcement of intellectual property rights systems at the national level, possibly contributing to low national IP filings. Therefore, we recommend entities fully engage in vigorous IP activities, review and finalize their IP policies and make them flexible yet equitably based on the needs of the collaborating industry firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article follows the scientific and entrepreneurial career of one of the most prominent genetic engineers, Jin-Soo Kim, in order to analyze the fate of a vision of biotechnology in South Korea, in which academy, government, and industry came together to "correct" Korean academic and economic life. I show how the scientific and the economic were intertwined in Kim's entrepreneurial lives, and so were the public and the private, commerce and law and virtue. As the founder of Toolgen, a biotech company specializing in genome editing, Kim built his career as a pioneer in biotech venture from the late 1990s, at a time when the Korean government tried to find certain opportunities in biotechnology amid the Asian financial crisis. I situate Kim's early career as a CEO of Toolgen and his return to an academic post at Seoul National University (SNU) within the rise of biotechnology entrepreneurship and the institutionalization of academic patenting in South Korea as an alternative to catch-up industrial and innovation policy that would free the country from the dependence that its own lack of science and technological innovation imposed on it. By 2005, as I show, Kim had emerged as an exemplary entrepreneurial scientist at SNU, a role model for reforming an old, tradition-bound research university into an entrepreneurial university, thereby helping to transform South Korea's industrial economy into a knowledge economy in an age of globalization. The fate of Toolgen and the scientific career of Kim, however, reflected the emergence of biotechnology entrepreneurship not only of perceived opportunity but of considerable resentments. I will end this paper with a brief discussion of a recent controversy over the ownership of his invention of the CRISPR technology at SNU. His story is thus a vista of the new ideas and sentiments of the 21st century global biotechnology manifested in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on Entrepreneurial University has emphasised the importance of encouraging and supporting the entrepreneurial intent of students, both PhDs and undergraduates. However, more research is needed about how PhD students can be supported in their entrepreneurial and technology transfer initiatives. This study seeks to contribute to this field by investigating how the entrepreneurial intent and entrepreneurial education of PhDs can impact their creation of new ventures and their involvement in technology transfer activities. With this objective, we use a unique dataset of 396 PhD students enrolled in Italian universities. The results show that higher levels of entrepreneurial intention of PhDs lead to a higher number of new ventures and higher involvement in TT activities. Furthermore, our findings also show that entrepreneurship education encourages PhDs to create new ventures only through increased entrepreneurial intention. Finally, education on technology transfer directly pushes them to be more involved in commercialisation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Russians believe that local engineers are very creative. Historically, however, the numerous inventions created by Russian innovators have rarely ended up as commercialized products. Are Russian engineers indeed creative in comparison to their foreign colleagues? What motivations are associated with this creativity? Is such a shared conception of creativity a barrier to the nation's development of innovations? I propose to answer these questions using interviews with Russian technopreneurs. For comparison with the Russian case, I will use another set of interviews with technopreneurs collected in three countries—South Korea, Taiwan and Finland—each of which can be characterized by different cultural contexts and level of technological development. I summarize the main findings of a collective research project, which employs Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot's idea of 'economies of worth.' The study demonstrates that the basic mixes of 'orders of worth' are varied across the selected countries. In Russia, this mix includes the industrial, the inspired and the market orders; in Taiwan, the market, the industrial and the domestic; in South Korea, the industrial, the domestic and the market; and in Finland, the project-base, the industrial and the market. Focusing on detailed analysis of the worlds of justification among Russian technopreneurs, the article argues that, contrary to the Finnish, South Korean, and Taiwanese cases, creativity and inspiration, together with values of producing technologies for their own sake, are prevailing motivations for Russian engineers. That can explain obstacles in the way of successful commercialization and technological development in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desorptive capacity is the organisational ability to transfer internal knowledge to external actors to obtain competitive advantage. We distinguish two forms of desorptive capacity to investigate how organisations active in emerging technology domains explore and exploit opportunities to match internally developed technology to external needs. We also focus on management innovation – the ability to create or revise organisational structures or processes – as a potential antecedent of desorptive capacity. From a study of 84 synthetic biology organisations we found that explorative and exploitative desorptive capacity mediate the relationship between management innovation and external technology commercialisation. The study provides empirical evidence of the existence and interdependence of different managerial and organisational processes required for external technology commercialisation. We underscore how organisations can valorise technological assets strategically through management innovation and by achieving a fit between internal practices and the technological base of potential technology adopters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Arizona Library, in collaboration with the campus commercialization unit, created a partnership that contributes to the early development of inventions in the commercialization pipeline. The library-commercialization business-intelligence workgroup was incorporated into the overall campus commercialization business-development workflow in 2014 and is comprised of librarians and commercialization professionals working together to provide insight and decision support for development of commercialization strategies for inventions emerging from university research that aligns with market drivers. These efforts are recognized by university leadership as critical to the strategic plan of the university. This article discusses the impact of the workgroup and how the group of librarians contributed to the development of new companies, new licenses, and financial impact of economic development at a large land-grant university and larger community. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

By utilising policy reference network analysis and keyword timing analysis, this paper proposes a framework for measuring policy diffusion, which can delineate research focus, measurement indicators, and methods of science and technology policy diffusion from four dimensions: intensity, breadth, speed, and direction. Based on the framework, this paper collects and categorises China's policies on technology transfer and commercialisation from 1985 to 2017, and conducts quantitative research on the diffusion process and characteristics of those polices from the previously mentioned four dimensions, which enables us to investigate the diffusion law of knowledge, information, and experience among those policies. The paper can provide data support on the choice of policy type for subsequent specific policy formulation by exploring the characteristics of different types of policy diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the effectiveness of different types of policy instruments (Direct Funding Support, National Technology Transfer Demonstration Institutions, and University Science Parks) and their mix on commercialisation performance of universities' technologies is an important but unsolved issue. Using province-level data from 2009–2016, we conduct such empirical research and assess their effectiveness. The results show that different policy instruments have different effects on commercialisation performance, and there are significant synergies between Direct Funding Support and other two policy instruments. Taking account of regional heterogeneity, this study finds that policy mixes are implemented better in regions with high innovation capacity. These findings, in turn, have notable implications for policymakers and university researchers who aim to commercialise their technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology entrepreneurship is a vehicle that facilitates prosperity in individuals, businesses and nations. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of technology entrepreneurship and strategic decisions on commercialisation of technology. To achieve this, data collected from 220 small manufacturing firms in Addis Ababa city was analysed using the OLS regression analysis. The result of the study revealed that technology entrepreneurship of small firms is the main source for the firm's better value creation and being competitively advantageous over its competitors. The firms will be competitively advantageous when they have better technology innovation and adoption. This happened through commercialising technical innovation and technology adoption. Therefore, small firm owners/managers should involve in creating values by forming a strategic alliance with stakeholders. The small venture owners/managers from low-income markets should also tend to engage more in adopting technologies from developed economies and involve on better innovation in designing and improving the overall performance of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firms often fail to shift from laboratory research to product development, and this failure is known as the Valley of Death. Although previous research has found solutions to the problem, the critical role of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) in the technology commercialisation and new product development (NPD) of manufacturing firms is often neglected. On the basis of the role theory of product innovation, this study aims to establish a new and comprehensive framework to investigate the role of KIBS in NPD in manufacturing. We identify the critical roles of KIBS as mentor and director, coordinator, strategic leader and gatekeeper, sponsor, and product champion in crossing the fuzzy front end of NPD. We find that manufacturers are likely prone to transform their inventions to innovations and finally benefit from their invented products through KIBS innovative capacity and availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year, the United States invests approximately $495 billion in research and development (R&D) - about a quarter of the total global investment. While the private sector accounts for about 67% of U.S. investment, the Federal government plays a critical role in funding R&D, particularly in areas that address societal needs in which the private sector does not yet have sufficient clear or strong incentive to make the required investments. The Federal government invests approximately $150 billion each year in R&D conducted at Federal laboratories, universities and other research organizations. As Federal R&D investments wind down or are completed, additional work is often still needed to translate the knowledge accrued from that R&D into products and services that will improve lives and provide economic growth. Technology transfer is the process by which existing knowledge, facilities or capabilities developed through R&D are utilised to fulfill public and private need. The transfer of technology from federally-funded R&D to the private sector is crucial to realising the taxpayer's return on investment in the Federal R&D ecosystem. However, moving innovations from the lab to the market is more than inventing products for people to buy. Technology transfer is about creating jobs and growing the economy; ensuring a strong, secure, and resilient Nation; and improving Americans' health and environment, fostering the conditions for America to maintain leadership in global innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating universities’ R&D performance can serve as a tool for policymakers, enabling them to identify the best R&D practitioners for benchmarking and develop strategies for enhancing performance by highlighting areas of weakness. This study divides universities’ R&D performance into two dimensions: efficiency and effectiveness. We employ a network data envelopment analysis approach to measure universities’ R&D efficiency, and separately use a multi-index comprehensive evaluation method to assess their R&D effectiveness from a multistage perspective. We calculate the comprehensive R&D performance of universities in 30 provinces in China from 2004 to 2014. An analysis of temporal variation reveals that universities’ R&D performance in some provinces improved rapidly, increasing gaps in performance as a whole. The spatial pattern for the 30 provinces shows that universities in provinces with medium or strong R&D performance are mainly in coastal provinces and central areas in China. Finally, universities’ R&D activities are considered ‘efficient and effective’ only in a small number of provinces, while in most provinces, these activities can generally be considered ‘less efficient and effective.’ Hence, universities in provinces with different R&D performance modes should implement targeted improvement strategies according to their characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the importance of the socialization environment – nest – for the career destinations of early career researchers. In a sample of research groups in the fields of science and engineering at universities in Germany, we identify research orientation, output, funding as well as openness to industry and commercialization as relevant components. Nests that attract more public funding and are led by professors with high research performance are more likely to produce researchers who take jobs in public research, while links to industry predict jobs in the private sector. In a more nuanced analysis that differentiates between types of industry employment, we find that larger firms also recruit from groups with higher scientific performance, while small and medium-sized firms recruit from nests with a higher patent productivity. A focus on experimental development instead is associated with academic start-ups, and an applied focus with employment in consulting. Recommendations for research training are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shockwave pretreatment is an emerging method of biomass intracellular disintegration that is currently the subject of intensifying research. Shockwave refers to the rapid spreading of pressure waves in a liquid environment. The current state of knowledge suggests that the best technology to make use of this phenomenon is wire explosion. This technology is based on releasing high-voltage discharge through a wire that is located between terminals embedded in a water-filled pressure vessel. The discharge sublimates the wire by converting its surface and surrounding water into plasma. This process is momentarily accompanied by ultrasound, ultraviolet radiation, heat, and the release of free radical particles. As the plasma rapidly expands in the immediate surroundings of the sublimated wire, the shockwaves omnidirectionally spread and then interfere with the walls of the vessel. More ways to generate shockwaves and numerous apparatus designs are being developed worldwide. It has repeatedly been proven that the passing of the shockwave through biomass is applicable in oil extraction, biowaste treatment, production of special foods, etc. It is concluded that miniaturization, adaptation to the parameters of the public power grid, and transition to continuous technology are mandatory for commercialization and the transfer of technology to other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, growing attention has been devoted to the commercialisation of knowledge and technologies developed by universities and public research institutions. A central role in this particular process is played by the technology transfer offices (TTOs), which are on the one hand in charge of promoting the transfer of knowledge and technology to external companies, and on the other hand are also responsible for protecting and licensing the intellectual property of the research organisation. This paper is focused on a TTO operating in the food context, with the specific objectives of identifying the performance indicators and the main factors affecting its performance and, finally, analysing the relationships among these factors. Results highlighted the importance of both external and internal factors for the performance of a TTO operating in this context. In addition, we found both direct and indirect relations within these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A small but significant percentage of the discoveries made by university researchers have commercial value, especially in fields such as the biomedical sciences, material science, and information technology. Early stage technologies emerging from university labs represent an important source of innovation for technology firms in the United States (US), especially those located in close proximity to elite universities in regions characterized by high levels of entrepreneurial dynamism. Based in part on the U.S. demonstration effect, policymakers in the developing world increasingly view universities as institutions capable of accelerating technology-based economic development. In this article we examine the efforts of elite universities in Chile, Mexico, and Brazil to transfer faculty inventions to the marketplace. On average these institutions have upgraded commercialization infrastructure since the mid-2000s and a select few are beginning to generate significant licensing revenue and viable spinoffs. We conclude with policy recommendations and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide array of phenomena lumped together under the rubric of the “commercialization of science,” the “commodification of research,” and the “marketplace of ideas” are both figuratively and literally Ponzi schemes. This thesis grows out of my experience of working on two concurrent projects: the first, an attempt to understand the forces behind the progressive commercialization of science; and the second, when it dawned upon me that the financial crisis then unfolding was resulting in the deepest worldwide economic contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s. This lecture explores the parallels in three different areas: the biotech sector, technology transfer offices at major universities, and possible decline of numbers of American-authored papers in major science journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using oral histories with scientists, technology transfer managers and other collaborators who were involved with the development of the biolistic gene gun, I investigate how actors narrate their experiences of technology transfer. The individuals who worked on the gene gun draw on two different interpretive repertoires for describing the innovation process: a ‘localized’ repertoire that highlights defined moments and the conceptual contributions of a few individuals; and a ‘distributed’ repertoire that emphasizes longer time frames, the process of technical implementation and the importance of a network of collaborators. Each of these repertoires identifies a different assemblage of actors as deserving of credit and reward for the development of the gene gun. Examining how scientists employ these modes of describing the innovation process offers a way of thinking about how university inventors negotiate tensions around novel features of academic capitalism, such as personal profit arising from the commercialization of university technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nano initiative in the US and elsewhere encourages and promotes various forms of multi-stakeholder activities, such as industrial collaborations. Forming part of the discourse of expectations around emerging technologies, collaboration is an important resource holding together different practices of knowledge production. In the conversations between policy and science, collaboration becomes a measurable entity and a measure in itself, figuring in the evaluations of the performance of individual faculty and research centres; however, the policy metaphor of ‘collaboration’ stands for a variety of different forms and shapes of interactions between university and industry. From a discourse analysis perspective, ‘folk theories’ of nano collaboration help to explore the dynamics of the university/industry boundary in the scientific organisational discourse as in a recent series of interactions with scientists, university officials and technology transfer officers in a number of US universities. What does the introduction of the new entity (nano) mean for scientists, and for university practices of technology transfer and commercialisation, in terms of trying to accommodate individual ‘nano’ cases into university regulations and procedures? How are these practices and experiences discussed in terms of collaboration? Assessments of value of collaboration ranged between polarised views, raising questions about occasions, audiences and communities of assessors invoked in the construction of acceptable accounts of nano collaboration. Metaphors and analogies were used to mobilise specific meanings in the discourses of the innovative potential of emerging fields. As such, assessments of the potential of terms pertinent to the emerging discourses, such as collaboration, would be better based on the assumption of shared meanings, not fixed and given, but actively achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments in most countries have set up specialised programmes to support the commercialisation of academic research. A key challenge is to develop indicators that are able to measure operation and impact. This study shows how different indicators are used to satisfy different stakeholders of a Norwegian support programme. Policy intervention is supposed to lead to additionality related to input, behaviour and output. While the support programme uses input and behavioural measures as strategic tools for its operation, policy makers are mostly preoccupied with output measures. This study illustrates how indicators develop over time, partly co-evolving with the development of the programme and the national commercialisation infrastructure. Indicators serve as incentives for the agents involved, but they may also influence the strategies of the programme that established them. The external signalling effect of indicators remains central, while its use in daily operations becomes less important with time and experience. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article considers unexpected outcomes of innovation occurring during research processes. Because serendipity has often led to important discoveries, here a model is developed to analyse the conditions for a 'market for ideas' to exist. With the help of game theory in particular, it is shown that the creation of such a market is quite unlikely because unfair buyer behaviour and the possibility of expropriation of the innovation renders the seller reluctant to negotiate with a potential buyer. All these factors may hinder the flow of ideas among institutions, generating a loss for society as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, the convergence of a number of social and economic factors has increased the interest of universities, industry and government in the commercialisation of universities' research output. Not without scepticism from some institutions and individuals, governments and universities around the world are taking steps towards identifying marketable research products, strengthening links with industry, and creating institutional frameworks needed to sustain and increase research output and speed the technology transfer process. These actions vary in degree and scope: from standardising and enforcing conventional intellectual property protection mechanisms, to creating support mechanisms for spin-off companies and setting up venture capital funds to support their growth. To date, universities' commercial experience has been mostly in the area of science and technology and thinking about commercialisation is framed in these terms. However, as digital innovations move through the services, media and entertainment sector, innovations and commercialisation opportunities of quite a different nature present themselves. Thus, there are considerable challenges for creative disciplines within tertiary institutions seeking to respond to the commercialisation imperative. This paper examines claims from the emerging creative industries and analyses universities' potential support of the commercialisation of creative innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]