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Organizing the Offices for Technology Transfer

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Abstract

Research Institutions (RIs) in last decades have been involved in both production of technological applications and commercialization of research results for the sake of technology transfer. These tasks are frequently taken as overlapping both in theory and practice, whereas they should be ideally separated. The present paper focuses on the latter, by questioning why RIs have to be involved into commercialization of research. Drawing on the identification of coordination needs among demand and supply of technological opportunities, evidence of five extensive case studies of Technology Transfer Organizations (TTOs) belonging to RIs is analyzed, with regard to the efficiency of the process of opportunity recognition. The claim for superior efficiency of RIs in technology transfer depends, in a static perspective, on an expected superior capacity of TTOs to manage existing knowledge. However, in practice, TTOs do not always exploit available sources of efficiency gains. Implications for management of knowledge and technology transfer are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiara Franzoni, 2004. "Organizing the Offices for Technology Transfer," CERIS Working Paper 200415, CNR-IRCrES Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth - Torino (TO) ITALY - former Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY.
    • Handle: RePEc:csc:cerisp:200415
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    technology transfer; OTT; spinoffs; academic patenting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior

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