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Skilled unemployment and the creation of academic spin-offs: a recession-push hypothesis

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Listed:
  • Hugo Horta

    (The University of Hong Kong)

  • Michele Meoli

    (University of Bergamo
    University of Bergamo)

  • Silvio Vismara

    (University of Bergamo
    University of Bergamo
    University of Augsburg)

Abstract

Push factors associated with necessity entrepreneurship are largely neglected in the academic entrepreneurship literature. We link research on technology transfer to the literature on opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship, showing that the rate of academic spin-off creation is positively associated with the skilled unemployment rate. This longitudinal study of 559 spin-offs launched between 1999 and 2013, which controlled for several university- and context-level factors, showed that a higher level of unemployment reduced the probability of academic spin-off creation up to a threshold, beyond which the effect was reversed. By contrast, the relative skilled unemployment level was related positively to the probability of academic spin-off, particularly high-tech spin-off, creation. The relationship between the level of skilled unemployment and the creation of high-tech spin-offs was moderated positively by university research orientation and regional research and human capital intensity.

Suggested Citation

  • Hugo Horta & Michele Meoli & Silvio Vismara, 2016. "Skilled unemployment and the creation of academic spin-offs: a recession-push hypothesis," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 798-817, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:41:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s10961-015-9405-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10961-015-9405-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Academic entrepreneurship; Academic spin-off; Unemployment; Skilled unemployment; Youth unemployment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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