Venturing in the Dark: Technology Transfer in Regenerative Medicine

While most major research universities promote entrepreneurial approaches, few provide the resources, training, or career support to sustain a productive start-up environment and drive regional economic development.These challenges are especially evident in regenerative medicine. Stem cell technology development is primarily driven by university-led research, and a disproportionate number of regenmed start-ups are directly tied to university research. Like all entrepreneurs, academic entrepreneurs with stem cell innovations must acquire scarce resources and connect to critical partners. In the field of regenerative medicine, however, uncertainty about regulation, distribution, and IP rights make decision-making more difficult. This isn’t about risk-taking, it’s about how entrepreneurs cope with “unknown unknowns