Identifying the key barriers and their interrelationships impeding the university technology transfer in Taiwan: a multi-stakeholder perspective

Abstract

In recent decades, universities have been designated the role of generating and disseminating knowledge in an innovation system. Nevertheless, a multitude of barriers exist in the university technology transfer process. Moreover, a limited number of studies have noted that these barriers not only impede university technology transfer but also affect one another. Therefore, this study examines the inter-relationships among these barriers and identifies the key barriers by comparing different perspectives of key stakeholders with the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory method. With Taiwan as the research base, the key stakeholders in this study are university scientists, university technology transfer offices and entrepreneurs. The results indicate that the lack of mutual understanding regarding expectations and working practices is the most prominent barrier, while the rules and regulations imposed by universities or government funding agencies are the barriers with the highest influence on others. Furthermore, policy implications for Taiwan’s university technology transfer are provided.