Social and economic impact of the commercialization of the Argus II artificial retina in the United States

Each year, the United States invests about $45 billion in research conducted by federal researchers within federal laboratories. These efforts generate extensive social benefits when results are transferred to the private sector. It is important that we effectively quantify the economic and societal impact of federal technology transfer activities to inform taxpayers and policymakers about the value of public investments in this form of research. The Argus II device, an artificial retina commercialized in the United States by Second Sight in 2013, provides a rich example of how private sector innovation can be enhanced by research collaborations with federal labs and academia. Over the 25-year journey from idea to product, Second Sight carried out research and development collaborations with six Department of Energy national laboratories and seven universities. The case of Argus II also offers valuable insight into (1) how private industry, academia, and government can work together to bring socially beneficial innovations to fruition and (2) the tradeoffs inherent in these public–private collaborations. In this paper, we use a Markov model to estimate the realized and potential future social benefits associated with Argus II. We provide an interactive tool that can be used to replicate our findings and modify assumptions using updated patient information as it becomes available. We also provide insight into the aspects of federal involvement surrounding the development of Argus II that contributed to its successful commercialization and discuss other spillover benefits from these public–private collaborations.     

The role of universities in the location of innovative start-ups

Start-ups increasingly find the prospect of university–industry collaborations to be a powerful driver of innovation and entrepreneurship activity. Moreover, at the geographical level, they are attracted by teaching and research institutions, either public or private. This paper focuses on the role played by universities. Our hypothesis is that geographical proximity favors the transfer of knowledge and technology from universities to industries and, consequently, represents a positive factor for regional economic development. Results show that university spillovers are positively correlated with the creation of innovative start-ups. Furthermore, the presence of human capital (graduates) exerts a significant influence on the location decisions of start-ups, being a source for competitiveness for firms close to universities. Research quality, especially in the social sciences area, attracts innovative start-ups, while third-mission activities have a weak impact on locational choice.     

论他物权的设定

我国物权法理论主要是以所有权为中心展开对物权变动的讨论,而忽视了他物权设定的特殊性。他物权的设定与所有权的移转存在着诸多区别,原则上他物权应通过物权设定的合同加公示方法才能设定。不动产他物权设定的模式一般应采取登记要件主义。     

The role of information asymmetry in the market for university–industry research collaboration

This study concerns the market for research collaboration between industry and universities. It presents an analysis of the population of all Italian university–industry collaborations that resulted in at least one international scientific publication between 2001 and 2003. Using spatial and bibliometric analysis relating to scientific output of university researchers, the study shows the importance of geographic proximity in companies’ choices of university partner. The analysis also reveals inefficiency in the market: in a large proportion of cases private companies could have chosen more qualified research partners in universities located closer to the place of business.     

The effects of cognitive distance in university-industry collaborations: some evidence from Italian universities

Universities have long been involved in knowledge transfer activities and are increasing their efforts to collaborate with industry. However, universities vary enormously in the extent to which they promote, and succeed in commercializing, academic research. In this paper, we focus on the concept of cognitive distance, intended as differences in the sets of basic values, norms and mental models in universities and firms. We assess the impact of cognitive distance on university-industry collaborations. Based on original data from interviews with 197 university departments in Italy, our analysis determines whether cognitive distance is perceived as a barrier to university-industry interactions, and estimates its effects on the frequency of their collaborations. Our results confirm that cognitive, albeit not affecting the probability of departments to collaborate with firms, significantly hinders the frequency of interactions.     

Capturing Technological Opportunity Via Japan's Star Scientists: Evidence from Japanese Firms' Biotech Patents and Products

Using detailed data on biotechnology in Japan, we find that identifiable collaborations between particular university star scientists and firms have a large positive impact on firms' research productivity, increasing the average firm's biotech patents by 34 percent, products in development by 27 percent, and products on the market by 8 percent as of 1989–1990. However, there is little evidence of geographically localized knowledge spillovers. In early industry formation, star scientists holding tacit knowledge required to practice recombinant DNA (genetic engineering) were of great economic value, leading to incentives motivating their participation in technology transfer. In Japan, the legal and institutional context implies that firm scientists work in the stars' university laboratories in contrast to America where the stars are more likely to work in the firm's labs. As a result, star collaborations in Japan are less localized around their research universities so that the universities' local economic development impact is lessened. Stars' scientific productivity is increased less during collaborations with firms in Japan as compared to the U.S.     

The effect of competitive and non-competitive R&;D collaboration on firm innovation

A firm can improve its innovation either by its internal research and development (R&D) efforts or by forming external collaborative R&D alliances. While previous studies on R&D collaboration and knowledge diffusion mainly focus on various external sources of R&D collaboration, little effort has been made to investigate the joint impact of competitive and non-competitive R&D collaborations on firm innovation simultaneously. By examining the data of 165 Taiwanese firms in the information and communication technology industry, we find that: (1) non-competitive R&D collaborations with universities have a positive direct impact on firm’s innovation performance; and (2) both non-competitive and competitive R&D collaborations have a positively moderating effect on the relationship between a firm’s internal R&D efforts and firm innovation and the positive moderating effect is higher for non-competitive R&D collaborations than that of competitive R&D collaborations. These findings suggest that R&D collaborations, either non-competitive or competitive, exhibit the nature of a win–win situation. We also derive implications for firms’ selection of R&D alliance partners and government policies.     

高校职务科技成果混合所有制的困境与出路

高校职务科技成果混合所有制,是我国赋予科研人员科技成果所有权,促进科技成果转化的重要探索。但是,现行方案不仅违反上位法关于职务科技成果权属的规定,而且对产权混合所有的固有缺陷也缺乏应对方案。高校职务科技成果权利配置应当以利益平衡为核心,以促进科技成果转化为导向。我国应当在扩大解释高校职务科技成果处置权的基础上,赋予当事人权属自治的自由;同时完善高校职务科技成果混合所有权的行使规则与权责体系,以解决当事人契约不完备的问题。     

The limits to internationalization of scientific research collaboration

This study analyses international research collaboration for eight science-based technologies in the Netherlands for the period 1988–2004. It is found that the share of international research collaborations in research collaboration is high, but not rising during the period investigated. This result suggests that the process of internationalization has reached an end. It is also found that collaboration between academic and non-academic organizations is less likely to take place at the international level than collaboration between academic organizations. This suggests that collaborating within national research systems helps academia, firms and governmental organizations to overcome differences in norms, values and incentives. Nonetheless, international collaboration between academic and non-academic organizations is also frequently occurring. Some consider these collaborations as undesirable, insofar academic research funded domestically is ‘leaking’ to foreign firms in such research collaborations. Such unwanted knowledge spillovers has lead some to plea for a ‘technology-nationalism’ in science policy instead of a ‘techno-globalization’. An analysis of the ‘balance of trade’ in international collaborations between Dutch academia and foreign firms and between Dutch firms and foreign academia shows that fears for unwanted knowledge spillovers are unfounded.

The impact of foreign and state ownership on post-transition industrial concentration: the case of Polish manufacturing

This paper reports an analysis of the determinants of the level and changes in Polish industrial concentration in the early post-transition era. In particular, the relative effects of foreign and state ownership are examined. The empirical evidence is based on a panel of 144 Polish manufacturing industries over the period 1989–1993. The results suggest that both state and foreign ownership have a significant impact on industry concentration and this relationship is U-shaped. Minimum efficient scale is found to be the only other factor to impact on industry concentration.     

Why do academics engage with industry? The entrepreneurial university and individual motivations

The debate on the entrepreneurial university has raised questions about what motivates academic scientists to engage with industry. This paper provides evidence based on survey data for a large sample of UK investigators in the physical and engineering sciences. The results suggest that most academics engage with industry to further their research rather than to commercialize their knowledge. However, there are differences in terms of the channels of engagement. Patenting and spin-off company formation are motivated exclusively by commercialization whilst joint research, contract research and consulting are strongly informed by research-related motives. We conclude that policy should refrain from overly focusing on monetary incentives for industry engagement and consider a broader range of incentives for promoting interaction between academia and industry.     

论集体土地所有权与土地承包经营权之间的冲突与协调

集体土地所有权与农村土地承包经营权并行存在于农村土地上的事实决定了两者之间必然会产生冲突与协调的问题。现实中,集体土地所有权与土地承包经营权之间的冲突普遍存在于农村土地的调整过程中、集体收回承包地的过程中以及农村土地承包经营权的流转过程中。严格限制集体调整承包地与收回承包地的权利,允许农民在自愿的基础上充分流转其承包地,建立集体土地所有权在土地承包经营权限制下实现的制度,可以达到协调两种权利的运行,构建和谐农村法秩序的目的。     

The University and the Start-Up:Lessons from the Past Two Decades

This paper explores one of Edwin Mansfield's enduring interests: the interface between academia and industry. It highlights some key lessons regarding the management of university-based spin-outs, drawing on a variety of sources. I highlight the challenges that the spin-off process poses, the impracticality of directly financing firms through internal venture funds, and the ways in which universities can add value to faculty ventures.     

Global technological collaboration network: network analysis of international co-inventions

Global innovation networks are emerging as a result of the international division of innovation processes through, among others, international technological collaborations. At the aggregate level, the creation of technological collaboration between countries can be considered as mutually beneficial (or detrimental) and their random distribution is unlikely. Consequently, the dynamics and evolution of the technological collaborations can be expected to fulfil the criteria of a complex network. To study the structure and evolution of the global technological collaboration network, we use patent-based data of international co-inventions and apply the network analysis. In addition, extending the gravity model of international technological collaboration by network measures, we show that a country’s position in the network has very strong impact on the intensity of collaboration with other countries.     

Exploring the spatial heterogeneity of entrepreneurship in Chinese manufacturing industries

The prevalence of entrepreneurship not only varies across regions, but also differs among industries. Based on a unique data set of 146 manufacturing industries across 30 provincial-level regions in China, this study investigates the importance of geographical conditions and industry dynamism on net entry rates of Chinese manufacturing firms, and empirically explores how these two sets of factors jointly influence the distributional pattern of entrepreneurship. By testing for the significance of interactions between industry dynamism and local condition variables, it is found that growth-driven entrepreneurial activities favor agglomerated regions and do not value knowledge creation capability much, although both knowledge creation capability and factor market maturity are important for a region to attract entrepreneurs pursuing technological opportunities. For start-ups exploiting niche opportunities, agglomeration and local competition both act as deterring factors. Overall, the results confirm the importance of local conditions and industry structural variables as joint determinants of entrepreneurship in Chinese manufacturing industries.     

房屋租赁中的添附法律问题研究——兼评法释[2009]11号中的相关规定

添附是物权法上确定所有权取得的一项重要规则,同时也与债法中的不当得利、违约责任、损害赔偿等制度密切相关.房屋租赁中的添附主要表现为不动产与动产的附合,它虽以租赁合同为基础,但相对独立于合同关系.实践中有必要区分承租人添附的善意与恶意、添附产生的合同内部关系与外部效力、添附形成物的价值大小和功能差异等因素确定添附物的归属.而对于租赁房屋添附利益的返还及损害赔偿,应当区别于租赁双方的合同责任,适用不当得利、侵权损害赔偿等规则予以解决.     

Mapping Corporate Influence and Institutional Corruption Inside Canadian Universities

Corporate influences that threaten the independence of science and trust in research often remain hidden from the general public. For university administrators these improper influences are often tacitly accepted as simply the new reality of funding environments—something to be managed, rather than eliminated. In this article, we structurally map patterns of corporate influence that threaten to distort the independence of research. Specifically, we map relationships between the fossil fuel industry and three major Canadian institutions of higher education. We also provide case studies of institutional corruption inside two of these universities. Our findings reveal elite interlocking networks between the fossil-fuel sector and academia as well as corporate influences that serve to decrease the independence of science and trust in research.     

著作权合同中作者权益保护的规则取舍与续造

著作权合同规则和集体协商所需中介组织的双重缺失,导致我国作者在著作权合同领域面临诸多不公平待遇时处于无法可依的境地。比较法上作者权益保护的制度安排,又因不同国家相关产业力量对比差异而有不同路径。在缺乏本土基本规则支撑的情况下,更符合我国产业特点的解决路径,一方面是根据比较法经验来重新校准作者权益的保护范畴,避免以事后规则直接保障作者收益,通过事前规则增助作者的自治能力;另一方面是运用法教义学的方法从著作权法合同章和民法典合同编两个领域完成对作者权益保护的解释学续造。应将著作权法合同章中规定的许可或转让的权利种类作为合同成立的“必要之点”,要求合同条款明确列举每项权利的使用范围、目的、期限和版税标准。应在区分无偿和有偿的著作权专有许可合同的基础上,类推适用民法典合同编中合同终止的一般规则和相关有名合同终止权来完成对作者利益保护规则的续造。     

Technology transfer offices and academic spin-off creation: the case of Italy

Over the past decades, university-industry relationships have become an important subject due to the essential role played by technological progress in the economic development of countries. From a theoretical point of view, several studies have shown the close relationship between investments in research and innovative activities of universities and the economic growth of specific territories. Indeed, the strong linkages between universities and a country’s production system encourage the process of technology transfer and the commercial use of the research results. For this reason, the European Union has implemented a series of measures to promote the adoption of research findings in the real economic and social context, strengthening the linkages between universities, industries and government. As a starting point for enhancing this link, specific mechanisms have been devised by universities. In particular, technology transfer offices (TTOs) have been created to stimulate and encourage the dissemination of the research outcomes, translate them into practise, and facilitate their interrelations with the other two agents of the innovation systems: industries and government. Within this context, the present paper aims to gain knowledge on the determinants of spin-off creation in Italy with special attention to the role played by university TTOs. Specifically, an econometric probability model has been built merging the extant literature into four distinct strands. The analysis, based on the NetVal indicators and primary data survey, has allowed us to assess the Italian experience at an aggregate and disaggregate level.     

Trends in Academic Research Spending, Alliances, and Commercialization

Widespread changes underway in the national R&D landscape are impacting how universities fund, conduct, and disseminate their own research efforts. The key components of these trends are revealed through a variety of indicators, including on financial resources, publishing and patenting metrics, and research partnerships. Many of the changes appear to be cost-driven. Particularly as funding increases from Government have slowed and expectations for cost-sharing increased during the past decade, universities increasingly have come to rely on nonfederal sources, notably industry and institutional self-funding. The shift in funding sources has impacted all major fields of study. As part of this system-wide transformation, universities have noticeably increased their collaborations with nonacademic researchers as evidenced by trends in publication data and information on the formation of centers, consortia, and cooperative agreements. Concurrently, and not coincidentally, the transfer of universities' research output also is expanding. Such transfers are increasing both indirectly (as indicated from patenting citation data) and directly (as documented by universities' own patenting/licensing commercialization endeavors). On all accounts are we unlikely to have yet reached the peak of such activities.