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Assessing Technology-based Spin-offs from University Support Units

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  • Mircea Epure
  • Diego Prior
  • Christian Serarols

Abstract

This paper takes a regional studies approach to assess the efficiency of technology-based spin-offs that benefited from financial and infrastructure aid. It does so by following the objectives of institutions for regional support and provides evidence on spin-offs created within the special case of a technology transfer network placed at Catalan universities. We contribute to the literature in at least two ways. First, we detect and conceptualise the specific regional objectives and the associated inputs and outputs needed to assess firms created at university-based support units. Second, an application provides empirical insights into regional mechanisms for firm creation. Results indicate that many efficient spin-offs have formal technology transfer agreements and emerge from universities with more technological background. Second stage analyses show that higher levels of innovation and specific academic knowledge or experience related with the university of origin are associated with higher efficiency.Concluding remarks focus on regional policy making and future research directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Mircea Epure & Diego Prior & Christian Serarols, 2014. "Assessing Technology-based Spin-offs from University Support Units," Working Papers 650, Barcelona School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bge:wpaper:650
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    Cited by:

    1. Federico Munari & Einar Rasmussen & Laura Toschi & Elisa Villani, 2016. "Determinants of the university technology transfer policy-mix: a cross-national analysis of gap-funding instruments," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(6), pages 1377-1405, December.
    2. Nora Hesse & Rolf Sternberg, 2017. "Alternative growth patterns of university spin-offs: why so many remain small?," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 953-984, September.
    3. Hunady, Jan & Orviska, Marta & Pisar, Peter, 2018. "University Characteristics as Factor Affecting the Creation of University Spin-Offs," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2018), Split, Croatia, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Split, Croatia, 6-8 September 2018, pages 476-484, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    4. Bahuleyan, Athira & Chavan, Meena & Krzeminska, Anna & Chirico, Francesco, 2024. "Process and variance research: Integrating research on university spinoff evolution," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    5. F. I. Vega-Gómez & F. J. Miranda González & J. Pérez-Mayo, 2020. "Analyzing the Effects of Institutional- and Ecosystem-Level Variables on University Spin-Off Performance," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, June.
    6. Marius Tuft Mathisen & Einar Rasmussen, 2019. "The development, growth, and performance of university spin-offs: a critical review," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1891-1938, December.
    7. Hunady Jan & Orviska Marta & Pisar Peter, 2019. "What matters: The Formation of University Spin-offs in Europe," Business Systems Research, Sciendo, vol. 10(1), pages 138-152, April.
    8. Marco Ferretti & Salvatore Ferri & Raffaele Fiorentino & Adele Parmentola & Alessandro Sapio, 2019. "Neither absent nor too present: the effects of the engagement of parent universities on the performance of academic spin-offs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 153-173, January.
    9. Francisco Javier Miranda & Antonio Chamorro & Sergio Rubio, 2018. "Re-thinking university spin-off: a critical literature review and a research agenda," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 1007-1038, August.
    10. María Elena Gómez-Miranda & Isabel Román-Martínez, 2016. "Las spin-off universitarias españolas: análisis económico-financiero y factores que condicionan su cifra de negocios," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 217(2), pages 131-155, June.
    11. Mark R. Ayoub & Sandra Gottschalk & Bettina Müller, 2017. "Impact of public seed-funding on academic spin-offs," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(5), pages 1100-1124, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    university spin-off; regional development; efficiency; entrepreneurship; technology transfer; innovation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M1 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration
    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics

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