Managing the University Venturing Process: A Study of Academic Entrepreneurship Policies in Ireland

Research has suggested that university spinoffs are an important aspect of regional economic development, yet scholars still debate the appropriateness of policies and operational structures to facilitate the creation of these... [ view full abstract ]

Research has suggested that university spinoffs are an important aspect of regional economic development, yet scholars still debate the appropriateness of policies and operational structures to facilitate the creation of these ventures. Recent research highlights how technology transfer systems at many universities in the US and Europe need a major overhaul because they are historically rooted in revenue generation and bureaucracy rather than driving innovation (Allen and O’Shea 2014). A gap has been identified where the knowledge of academic inventors appears to stagnate and languish on the shelves of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and university laboratories (Aldridge and Audretsch 2010). TTOs are increasingly seen as bottlenecks rather than partners in knowledge transfer for societal good. This paper investigates new emergent forms of university venture creation, primarily based on three in-depth case studies of three leading entrepreneurially led universities based in Ireland. This paper contributes to management and university technology transfer literature by taking a contingent perspective of managing the effectiveness and efficiency of new emergent academic entrepreneurship models that are based on principles of open innovation.