Relationships between universities and the private sector in the transfer of technology”, in Relationship between public and private sector, EEF Conference

In a brief presentation, I can only offer an outline of the complex analytical underpinnings and extensive empirical findings that yield "lessons learned" about effective relationships between universities and the private sector in the transfer of technology, and of the many ways in which universities contribute to national and regional economic growth. I thus focus on three interrelated lessons that provide, I believe, a generic framework for the analysis of specific situations. The three lessons are as follows. 1) A theoretically consistent and empirically validated analytical structure is needed to track technology transfer flows between universities and the private sector; 2) The applicability of generic lessons about the university-private sector relationship is contingent upon the specific characteristics of national innovation systems; and 3) Several specifications and measures of success (or failure) exist to assess the outcomes of university-industry-government technology transfer programs. 1) Technology transfer has four principal components: an organisation that generates technology related knowledge; an organization that receives/adapts/incorporates this knowledge; the characteristics of the knowledge being generated and transferred; and a mechanism for connecting the first three (Figure 1). Perhaps the major lesson learned from US experience is that success in technology transfer involves the current matching and meshing of these components. Universities and firms, as well as the national and regional governmental agencies involved in supporting or encouraging university-industry partnerships, must understand their own objectives, incentives, and capabilities as well as those of the other party(ies). Expectations of and commitments regarding outcomes also must be conditioned by a more general understanding of the technical, economic, and regulatory factors that shape the commercial introduction and economic impact of technological innovation. Where such understanding exists, the parties may forge realistic, attainable objectives, modify relationships as new opportunities or problems occur, incorporate past mistakes into future partnerships, and part company o