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Study Suggests Cultural Changes in Universities Could Be Key to Promoting Greater Tech Transfer

Despite legislation, policies and financial incentives, universities still struggle to motivate professors to participate in technology transfer. A few well placed individuals engaged in entrepreneurship could create a culture encouraging others to be involved in technology transfer activities, according to a new study by Janet Bercovitz of Duke University and Maryann Feldman of University of Toronto presented at the Minnesota Cluster-Entrepreneurship Conference in September 2004.

In Academic Entrepreneurs: Social Learning and Participation in University Technology Transfer, the authors review those factors influencing individual researchers in their decision to file invention disclosures – the first step in the commercialization process. The study draws its conclusions from qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis from departments within two university medical schools.

Bercovitz and Feldman found empirical support for the following organizational factors:

• Graduates from institutions with a history and track record in technology transfer are more likely to file invention disclosures.
• More recent graduates engage in these activities while participation declines with the increased “vintage” of the individual.
• Individuals whose the department chair actively files inventions will more likely file disclosures on their own inventions.
• Individuals will more likely disclose their inventions if departmental peers also engage in technology transfer activities.

The authors also singled out researchers who only recently filed inventions to determine what influenced their change in behavior. They quantitatively determined leadership (activity of the department chair) and peer engagement are the main incentives for these individuals. However, the influences only impact individuals within a department leading to entrepreneurial pockets at the medical schools unrelated to departmental specialty.

The study does  not rule out that universities hired or new employees chose positions at departments with similar attitudes to technology transfer. In fact, Bercovitz and Feldman suggest both selection and social culture influence an individual’s choice to participate in technology transfer.

Although leadership played a key role, the authors find, it was not imperative that the department chairs engage in technology transfer to foster an entrepreneurial culture. Bercovitz and Feldman propose the placement of a few individuals might facilitate others to embrace entrepreneurial activities.

Academic Entrepreneurs: Social Learning and Participation in University Technology Transfer is available at:

http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/slp/clusters_entrepreneurship/bercovitz_academic_entrepreneurs.pdf