Informal university technology transfer: a comparison between the United States and Germany |
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Authors: | Christoph Grimpe Heide Fier |
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Institution: | (1) ZEW Centre for European Economic Research, P.O. Box 10 34 43, 68034 Mannheim, Germany;(2) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;(3) University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland |
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Abstract: | Existing literature has confined university technology transfer almost exclusively to formal mechanisms, like patents, licenses
or royalty agreements. Relatively little is known about informal technology transfer that is based upon interactions between
university scientists and industry personnel. Moreover, most studies are limited to the United States, where the Bayh-Dole
Act has shaped the institutional environment since 1980. In this paper, we provide a comparative study between the United
States and Germany where the equivalent of the Bayh-Dole Act has come into force only in 2002. Based on a sample of more than
800 university scientists, our results show similar relationships for the United States and Germany. Faculty quality which
is however based on patent applications rather than publications serves as a major predictor for informal technology transfer
activities. Hence, unless universities change their incentives (e.g., patenting as one criterion for promotion and tenure)
knowledge will continue to flow out the backdoor. |
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