Exploring the Nature of Entrepreneurial Research Institutions: Perspective of Various Commercial Inv

Abstract

Responding to the emphasis of innovation and entrepreneurship in this knowledge-based economy, the academic research institutions are changing their structures and functions. Moreover, along with the limited growth of governmental research expenditure, the academic research institutions are becoming the key actors to facilitate knowledge flows into the sources of industrial innovation. This study constructed the macro- and micro-level contextual dimensions of academia researchers in terms of institutional environments, organizational environments, network linkages, and personal conditions, and investigated the impacts on various commercial involvements. Through in-depth expert interviews with 8 project conductors from the 5 different research disciplines in the Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST) in Taiwan. The empirical results verified that the key dimensions in facilitating the commercial involvements for the academic researchers including network linkages, organizational environments, institutional environments, and individual conditions. Moreover, the common IPR and non-IPR commercial activities are verified. This study explored the various viewpoints of academic researchers in accordance with their academic status and research disciplines. The study discussed the implications of these results for university and government policymakers.