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The ivory tower approach to entrepreneurial linkage: productivity changes in university technology transfer

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  • Younhee Kim

Abstract

Academic entrepreneurship has been intensively applied to the area of technology innovation and diffusion in the US. Along with the promotion of innovative approaches, universities take advantage of knowledge spillovers from their laboratories to the market for both economic development and financial gains. This study assessed individual university productivity in technology transfer using feasible measures of multiple input–output combinations and data envelopment analysis to examine panel data gathered over the period 1999–2007. A major finding is that there was substantial growth in the average productivity of university technology transfer during this period. The average annual productivity gain in the 90 universities was over 30%, indicating that universities’ technology transfer activities were relatively efficient in terms of their input to output ratio. The positive shifts in average productivity changes were primarily due to the increasing frequencies of commercial outputs. This finding suggests that universities and public policy should pay attention to stimulate commercial activities rather than to increase investments for upgrading a next level of realistic, long-term strategies. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2013

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  • Younhee Kim, 2013. "The ivory tower approach to entrepreneurial linkage: productivity changes in university technology transfer," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 180-197, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:38:y:2013:i:2:p:180-197
    DOI: 10.1007/s10961-011-9217-8
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    2. Zou, Chen & Huang, Yongchun & Hu, Shiliang & Huang, Zhan, 2023. "Government participation in low-carbon technology transfer: An evolutionary game study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    3. Jason Coupet & Yuhao Ba, 2022. "Benchmarking university technology transfer performance with external research funding: a stochastic frontier analysis," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 605-620, April.
    4. Fan-Chuan Tseng & Mu-Hsuan Huang & Dar-Zen Chen, 2020. "Factors of university–industry collaboration affecting university innovation performance," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 560-577, April.
    5. Nivedita Mukherji & Jonathan Silberman, 2021. "Knowledge flows between universities and industry: the impact of distance, technological compatibility, and the ability to diffuse knowledge," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 223-257, February.
    6. Seongkyoon Jeong & Sungki Lee, 2015. "Strategic timing of academic commercialism: evidence from technology transfer," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 40(6), pages 910-931, December.
    7. Son, Hosung & Chung, Yanghon & Hwang, Heeju, 2019. "Do technology entrepreneurship and external relationships always promote technology transfer? Evidence from Korean public research organizations," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 82, pages 1-15.
    8. Tao Hu & Yin Zhang, 2021. "A spatial–temporal network analysis of patent transfers from U.S. universities to firms," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(1), pages 27-54, January.
    9. Chen, Kun & Wupur, Abduhalik & Abudouguli, Ailifeire & Yang, Guo-liang, 2023. "Measuring the knowledge transfer efficiency of social science in Chinese universities from a think tank perspective," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    10. Nugent, Annita & Chan, Ho Fai, 2023. "Outsourcing university research commercialization to a sophisticated technology transfer office: Evidence from Australian universities," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    11. Silveli Cristo-Andrade & João J. Ferreira, 2020. "Knowledge spillovers and strategic entrepreneurship: what researches and approaches?," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 263-286, March.
    12. Kim, Juram & Hong, Suckwon & Kang, Yubin & Lee, Changyong, 2023. "Domain-specific valuation of university technologies using bibliometrics, Jonckheere–Terpstra tests, and data envelopment analysis," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    13. Jaehun Park & Joonyoung Kim & Si-Il Sung, 2017. "Performance Evaluation of Research and Business Development: A Case Study of Korean Public Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-16, December.
    14. See, Kok Fong & Ma, Zhanxin & Tian, Yuzhen, 2023. "Examining the efficiency of regional university technology transfer in China: A mixed-integer generalized data envelopment analysis framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    15. Jaepil Han, 2020. "Identifying the effects of technology transfer policy using a quantile regression: the case of South Korea," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(6), pages 1690-1717, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Academic entrepreneurship; Data envelope analysis; Technical efficiency; University technology transfer; I29;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other

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