Role Of Technology Transfer Offices Research Articles

Commercialization of Intellectual Property Rights at Universities as an Additional Revenue Stream

This paper investigates the commercialization of Intellectual Property (IPRs) at universities and the potential for universities in Kenya to leverage their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) as a vital revenue source. Even though they possess significant intellectual assets, many universities have failed to utilize IPRs and in turn, losing opportunities for income generation. The paper introduces the concept of IP commercialization and the legal IP framework in Kenya and proceeds to discuss how research conducted in institutions of higher learning can be commercialized through an analysis of best practices and case studies. The discussion outlines the relevance of Intellectual Property to universities, the strategies for universities to maximize the value of their IPRs and establish sustainable income streams. Drawing upon relevant literature and academic research, it provides insights into the commercialization process, legal considerations, and the role of technology transfer offices in facilitating successful IPR monetization. The paper concludes by establishing that by implementing proactive strategies and fostering a culture of innovation, universities in Kenya can unlock the full potential of their intellectual assets and achieve financial sustainability.

An Investigation on Knowledge-Based Entrepreneurship in Higher Education

Purpose: This section provides an overview of the article's main objective and scope. It introduces the concept of knowledge-based entrepreneurship in higher education institutions and sets the stage for the research's exploration of its various aspects, including drivers, challenges, and transformative impacts.
 
 Theoretical Framework: This section discusses the theoretical underpinnings and concepts that guide the research. It mentions how universities have evolved from traditional knowledge disseminators to hubs for entrepreneurial initiatives and outlines the theoretical foundation upon which the study is built.
 
 Methodology: This part briefly outlines the research methodology employed in the study. It mentions the systematic analysis of existing literature as the primary research approach and highlights the study's focus on knowledge transfer, collaborative relationships, and the role of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs).
 
 Findings: This section summarizes the key findings of the research. It touches upon the pivotal role of universities in the knowledge economy, the mechanisms of knowledge transfer, and the significance of TTOs in facilitating knowledge-based entrepreneurship. It provides an overview of the transformative potential highlighted in the study.
 
 Research, Practical & Social Implications: This part discusses the broader implications of the research. It highlights how the findings impact academia, industry, and society at large. It mentions the need for collaborative efforts and how knowledge-based entrepreneurship can drive economic growth, technological advancement, and societal progress.
 
 Originality/Value: This section underscores the uniqueness and value of the research. It emphasizes the contribution of the study to the understanding of knowledge-based entrepreneurship and its role in fostering collaboration between academia and industry. It also mentions the potential for innovation and resilience in the future.

An Investigation on Knowledge-Based Entrepreneurship in Higher Education

Purpose: This section provides an overview of the article's main objective and scope. It introduces the concept of knowledge-based entrepreneurship in higher education institutions and sets the stage for the research's exploration of its various aspects, including drivers, challenges, and transformative impacts.
 
 Theoretical Framework: This section discusses the theoretical underpinnings and concepts that guide the research. It mentions how universities have evolved from traditional knowledge disseminators to hubs for entrepreneurial initiatives and outlines the theoretical foundation upon which the study is built.
 
 Methodology: This part briefly outlines the research methodology employed in the study. It mentions the systematic analysis of existing literature as the primary research approach and highlights the study's focus on knowledge transfer, collaborative relationships, and the role of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs).
 
 Findings: This section summarizes the key findings of the research. It touches upon the pivotal role of universities in the knowledge economy, the mechanisms of knowledge transfer, and the significance of TTOs in facilitating knowledge-based entrepreneurship. It provides an overview of the transformative potential highlighted in the study.
 
 Research, Practical & Social Implications: This part discusses the broader implications of the research. It highlights how the findings impact academia, industry, and society at large. It mentions the need for collaborative efforts and how knowledge-based entrepreneurship can drive economic growth, technological advancement, and societal progress.
 
 Originality/Value: This section underscores the uniqueness and value of the research. It emphasizes the contribution of the study to the understanding of knowledge-based entrepreneurship and its role in fostering collaboration between academia and industry. It also mentions the potential for innovation and resilience in the future.

The Role of Supporting Factors on Patenting Activities in Emerging Entrepreneurial Universities

Academic patenting has become an important part of the university-industry collaboration and technology transfer but few studies have investigated the institutional frameworks and organizational incentive and support structures in terms of patenting activity. This article, therefore, seeks to fill this gap by examining institutional and infrastructure supporting factors and the impact that they have on university patenting within an emerging economy higher education system, namely Turkey. The analyses use logit regression to test a set of hypotheses on a large-scale sample of Turkish universities. The findings highlight the positive role of supporting factors on a university's patenting performance, acting complementarily to the role of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs). This article will be a guide for managers and practitioners to use supporting factors complementing the activities of TTOs in emerging economies in increasing patent applications. Finally, this article highlights future research directions and limitations of the research.

Technology transfer offices and the formation of academic spin-off entrepreneurial teams

ABSTRACT A significant proportion of academic spin-offs (ASOs) are founded by entrepreneurial teams (ETs). Yet little is known about how these ETs are formed or the role of technology transfer offices (TTOs) in this formation process. This article examines whether and how TTOs affect the formation of academic spin-off entrepreneurial teams (ASO-ETs). To this end, we study in detail the formation of seven ETs behind life-science ASOs developed in one region in Norway. Our findings show that ASO-ETs followed different paths of formation, partly mirroring the organization of the TTOs. We further identify four different roles played by TTOs, two direct and two indirect, that shape the formation of these ETs. Based on organization imprinting theory, we contribute to the team entrepreneurship literature by developing a new framework showing how TTOs imprint the formation of ETs in ASO settings.

Setting the three-stage R&D shared portfolio methodology: an innovative approach to industry–university collaboration

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an approach to start industry–university (I-U) collaboration through a stepped process aimed at building a portfolio of research and development (R&D) projects.Design/methodology/approachIt devises from an 18-month action-research program held between a multinational automotive manufacturer and the a top-ranked Brazilian university.FindingsThe three-stage R&D shared portfolio methodology results from a combined application of quality function deployment-like correlation matrices and roadmapping. A first matrix tackles industry interests and correlates product performance dimensions and components to reveal broad research areas of interest. A second matrix correlates research areas and engineering competences, highlighting the types of the required know-how from the university standpoint. Thirdly, academic experts help to fill a roadmap-like layer with possible collaborative R&D deliverables over time.Research limitations/implicationsSince the study lies on a single experience, extensions to other contexts should be made with care. However, the proposal offers robust rationale and a set of supporting tools to nurture new applications.Practical implicationsTheoretical and methodological reflections help managers tackling the long-standing problem of setting a shared R&D agenda.Originality/valueLiterature on I-U collaboration tends or to over-emphasize the role of technology transfer offices in promoting the partnerships or to seek implications for public policy. This research offers a valuable approach to build shared R&D project portfolio from a managerial viewpoint, filling an academic gap and offering guidance for managers in both sides.

Organizational responses in a rationalized institutional context

There is a growing research interest in the role of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) in facilitating academic entrepreneurship (Clarysse et al., 2005; 2011; Wright et al., 2007). Extant scholarship has studied how TTOs influence entrepreneurial outcomes of university research via supporting patenting, licensing and spin-off activities. (Clarysse et al, 2011); establishing and overseeing intellectual property (IP) policies (Welsh et al. 2008; McAdam et al. 2017); and developing relationships with industry (Lee and Win 2004; Hsu et al. 2015; Miller et al. 2014; McAdam et al. 2017). TTO are therefore operating in increasingly rationalized yet complex institutional contexts, governed by prescriptions and expectations emerging from very diverse stakeholders, including the university, government and industry amongst others. These institutional contexts may not necessarily be considered effective by TTOs for achieving their objectives. There is very limited knowledge about the ways in which TTOs can cope with such contexts, although the evidence from elsewhere indicates that organizations may, for instance, choose to comply with practices that help them survive an institutionally demanding context, in spite of the fact that these practices do not align with the ends that the organizations are meant to serve (Bromley and Powell, 2012). Hence, the aim of this paper is to advance our understanding of TTO responses to highly rationalized institutional contexts, complicated by multiplicity of stakeholders, expectations and practices. We make several empirical and theoretical contributions. First, we provide systematic categorisation TTO responses within a complex and rationalized institutional environment. Second, we demonstrate how combination of several institutional dynamics matter in developing response strategies and associated tactics. Third, we develop policy insights for pertinent stakeholders, illuminating managerial challenges faced by TTOs when achieving top-down metrics.

Factors affecting the commercialisation of new knowledge: a roadmap proposal

The generation of new knowledge derived from research in higher education institutions (HEIs) is a practice that bolsters the development and innovation capabilities of the social and productive sector, but there are some limitations regarding knowledge transfer or commercialisation. In this article, the key factors which positively affect new knowledge commercialisation (NKC) are analysed. Drawing on a number of interviews with directors of technology transfer offices (TTOs), a roadmap is established which highlights the following factors: the researcher's entrepreneurial and academic profiles; networking; the role of TTOs, the research initiative; and the institutional system. This study makes an essential contribution to understanding how new knowledge should be commercialised, which factors are essential for the transfer of new knowledge to the social and productive sector, and which stakeholders other than HEIs must be involved in a successful commercialisation process.

Instrument Development to Review Factors for Research Commercialization Study in Universities

Recently, university commercialization has drawn growing attention to the role of the university as one of the drivers to local economic growth. Majority universities and other research institutes in Malaysia has established Technology Transfer Offices (TTO) to give support and guidance to the researchers in the bid to commercialize Research and Development (R&D) activities. The issues that are faced by current researchers are progressing and adapting to the role of developing and commercialising products while having lack of business acumen that hinders success in commercialization among the researchers. The objective of this study is to create a research model for commercialization study in universities and developing questionnaire to assess the issue in a holistic view. This study reviews the role of TTO, lists of incentives from the government to the researchers and factors that impedes the researchers’ output to the commercial bench. Contextual factor, Process factors and Organizational factors lead to the successful commercialization in the research institutes. A research model for impediment in commercialization is created and questionnaire for TTO and survey for researchers, are developed to investigate on the impediment factors that hinder success in the research commercialization among universities. The in-house developed instruments are modified based on massive literatures on commercialization to stimulate strategies and improvement of units from Planning to Execution role in the TTO. On another hand, researchers in the university will be able to plan and execute their research that will deliver scientific, technological, cultural and economic developments in addressing industrial, culture and social issues.

University ownership and information about the entrepreneurial opportunity in commercialisation: a systematic review and realist synthesis of the literature

It is now increasingly acknowledged that universities, despite their research capabilities and ownership of the new technical information they generate, are able to transform only a small minority of the patents they hold into innovations. In the transition from research outcome to innovation, information about the entrepreneurial opportunity is important because the outcomes of academic research are distant from the marketplace: as they have not been conceived with consideration of practical use but solely in a quest for understanding a scientific phenomenon. This underpins the rationale for our study into the information conditions regarding the entrepreneurial opportunity in the context of the prevailing property rights regime. In addressing this issue we adopt a theory-led realist synthesis approach to the conduct of a systematic literature review. Whilst we find empirical evidence supporting the conclusions of theoretical models, i.e. the strengthening role of technology transfer offices, we also point to their shortcomings. We go on to argue that significant gaps in our knowledge, and thus our ability to act, remain. In response, we advance an agenda for future research that focuses on the exploration of alternative policy actions (interventions) that draw from different paradigmatic lenses and methodological approaches.

Don't get lost in translation

Translating university research into a business opportunity almost always involves a technology transfer office (TTO). But there are misconceptions about the role of TTos as well as opportunities for them to be more effective. Stephen Caddick discusses the role of technology transfer offices and their future in translating research

Enhancing Commercialization Level of Academic Research Outputs in Research University

The aim of this study was to improve the commercialization level in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). For achieving this goal various factors and issues were examined to identify how they affect the procedure of university commercialization. These factors include the role of technology transfer office /center, availability of finance, availability of potential licensee and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) among the university researchers. Among these four factors, this study focused more on EO among academic researchers and its effect on the commercialization rate. This study was based on a qualitative research method and was designed to use a case study approach. For investigating the factors and issues in this study, a total of ten face-to-face interviews were conducted. The respondents were chosen from inventors, researchers, academic entrepreneurs, and Technology Transfer Office staff in UTM. The researcher utilized the content-analysis approach to analyze the data obtained from the semi-structured interviews of the respondents. The results indicated that EO among the university researchers, the role of technology transfer office /center, the availability of potential licensee and availability of finance were significant to the research output commercialization at university. Overall, the most critical factor was availability of finance.

Signaling in academic ventures: the role of technology transfer offices and university funds

University spinoffs, an important subset of high-tech start-up companies, operate in a context characterized by marked information asymmetries that limit their chances of obtaining financing. Given the uncertainty and imperfect information that characterize these investment opportunities, signals about their potential value deserve further attention. We investigate the relationship between the main stakeholders involved in the process of creating a university spinoff—that is, the academic founders, the university technology-transfer office, and private investors—focusing on the role of public grants as effective signals that attract private venture capital (VC) funding. Using the database of all spinoff companies established to exploit inventions assigned to the University of Michigan from 1999 to 2010, we determine how the funds provided through the university technology-transfer office influence VC follow-on funding and consequent spinoff growth, controlling for the spinoff’s technology, the founders’ human capital, and the network’s resources. The empirical results support a signaling effect of the commercialization funds provided by the university and suggest an indirect impact on the growth of the spinoff’s sales through the mediating effect of VC financing.

The role of technology transfer offices in growing new entrepreneurial ecosystems around mid-sized universities

The role of universities has evolved from its traditional focus on education and research to active participation in regional economic development. Technology transfer offices (TTOs) were created at Canadian universities to help regulate and monetise the transfer of knowledge created by the university researchers to the marketplace. In this paper, we examined the role TTOs can play in developing a new entrepreneurial ecosystem around mid-sized research universities, based on the perceptions and expectations of the key stakeholders, involved in the technology transfer process, about the role of TTOs, and if their role can help in developing entrepreneurial culture in their universities. We found that the ability of TTOs to effectively support the commercialisation of university research results is related to the existence of an entrepreneurial culture in the university. If the culture and an entrepreneurial ecosystem do not exist, the role TTOs can play is more limited to its well-established facilitation role. Our findings confirm that TTOs can play a critical role in coordinating different bottom-up initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, and in attracting and integrating new external resources to the university.

Investigating the Moderating Role of Technology Transfer Office on Academic’s Entrepreneurial Orientation and Research Commercialisation Relationship

Objective – The purpose of the present study is to investigate the moderating role of technology transfer office on the relationship between academic’s entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation. Methodology/Technique – Using survey approach, the study tests the formulated hypotheses. Respondents belonging to five Malaysian research universities were selected based on random sampling technique. A sample of 223 questionnaires was found usable for final analysis. Data gathered was subjected to factor analysis for validating the developed instrument. Further, Pearson correlation and regression analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses. Assumptions of regression were satisfied before applying the regression. To test the moderator, hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. Findings – The results highlight that technology transfer office has a significant moderating role on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation. Similarly, when technology transfer office is taken as a moderator between dimensions of the entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation, it is found that there is statistically significant influence on the relationships. Novelty – Technology transfer office has been investigated extensively for its role towards university commercialisation. However, this role has been tested as an independent variable. This is the first study that takes a different perspective on technology transfer office as a moderator. Further, the study not only checks the moderating influence of technology transfer office on the main construct of entrepreneurial orientation but also investigates its influence on each of the five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation relationship. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Technology Transfer Office; Entrepreneurial Orientation; Commercialisation; Research University; Academic Researcher; Malaysia. JEL Classification: L26, L31.

Disentangling the role of universities in academia-industry partnerships success

Why are some universities capable of obtaining better results from the interactions with firms than others? So far, literature in university-industry cooperation (UIC) has answered this question by studying the role of technology transfer offices, incentive and intellectual property protection policies and some organizational features. In this paper we present a systemic framework that explains how universities should organize to outperform their competitors in knowledge exploitation. Our core idea is that the success of universities in collaborative agreements with non-academic organizations, in addition to environmental and individual characteristics, stems from the interaction of four organizational factors, namely, support mechanisms (structures and policies), strategic orientation, management abilities and culture.

Innovation & Commercialization: Role of Technology Transfer Office in Malaysia Universities

Innovation is Malaysia main agenda in pursuing Vision 2020. Year 2010 had been declared as innovation year by the prime minister and various steps have been taken by the government to achieve the target. The role of universities in the growth of national innovation systems and economy is well recognized, but the translation of research outputs into marketplace has rather not been as good. Technology Transfer Office (TTO) traditionally is known to facilitate university technology commercialization. Creation of a TTO within the university is often viewed as instrumental to secure a sufficient level of autonomy for developing relations with industry and other interested parties. In this paper, we take a look at the established TTO of two Research Universities in Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, to understand their structures and roles in supporting the universities innovation and commercialization.

Technology transfer offices and university patenting in Sweden and Germany

This paper analyses the factors that impact on the decision of researchers to patent their research results. Particular emphasis is put on the role of technology transfer offices. It builds on a survey of university professors in Sweden and Germany. The regression results show that researchers that received support from the public infrastructure and researchers that have experience with the patenting system—through own previous patents or joint patent applications with firms—are much more likely to apply for patents.

Alternative IP Mechanisms in Genomic Research

This research is conducted by the Intellectual Property and Policy Research Group at the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics at the University of British Columbia. It is part of the GE3LS (ethical, environmental, economic, legal and social issues related to genomics research) component of the Genome Canada Project "Dissecting Gene Expression Networks in Mammalian Organogenesis," MORGEN, which is located principally at the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The project is involved in upstream, basic genomic research. Part of this work includes the characterization of gene regulatory mechanisms governing organogenesis with a special focus on the heart, liver and pancreas. This paper serves as an introduction to both the MORGEN case study and the role of alternative mechanisms, such as open source. We discuss interim research results as they relate to our broader study of the relationship between open science, commercialization and technology transfer offices. The role of technology transfer offices (TTO) is central to our analysis and is viewed as a key factor in implementing Genome Canada policies and principles associated with IP and commercialization.

The role of technology transfer offices in building the South African biotechnology sector: an assessment of policies, practices and impact

While South Africa appears to have many of the building blocks in place to support a vibrant biotechnology sector, the potential which exists has not yet been realised. Several policies and programmes have therefore been introduced by government in recent years in order to address some of the barriers. The poor flow of technologies from research laboratories to industry has been identified as an area of particular concern, with the role of institutional technology transfer offices (TTOs) as facilitators of improved technology transfer being highlighted. This paper describes the status quo of biotechnology in South Africa, discusses relevant policy developments and against this background, examines the status of TTOs, the constraints which are faced and how these might be overcome.