Technology transfer and academic entrepreneurship: a personal journey, lessons learned from the literature, and new directions

In this essay, I describe the development of the field of technology transfer and academic entrepreneurship (henceforth, TT-AE) and my contribution to it, some lessons learned from these studies, and three new directions for research on this important topic. The new directions are more “micro”/OB/HRM research on TT-AE, more studies of TT-AE at government labs, as opposed to universities, and a greater focus on “pro-social” TT-AE. In addition to advancing knowledge, other useful outcomes of these new directions for research might be to increase the engagement of scientists in TT-AE and improve our understanding of how to “manage” the process to achieve maximum economic and social impact. I summarize the growth and evolution of the burgeoning literature on technology transfer and academic entrepreneurship (TT-AE), which has mainly focused on university patenting, licensing, research joint ventures, and start-up activity. More importantly, I identify three new directions for research on TT-AE: (1) “micro”/OB/HRM analysis of TT-AE; (2) studies of TT-AE at federal/national labs and other public research organizations; and (3) research on “pro-social” TT-AE, which links TT-AE to the creation of public goods and de-emphasizes the financial aspects of this activity.