The relationship between technology transfer office role emphasis and outcomes across the technology transfer process

Technology transfer offices (TTOs) perform multiple roles within a shared personnel portfolio, yet little is known about how relative role emphasis relates to outcomes across the technology transfer (TT) process. This study examines the associations of internal and external interface emphasis with invention disclosures and licensing agreements. Using data from Brazilian TTOs, we measured internal interface emphasis as the share of personnel devoted to intellectual property prospecting and protection, while external interface emphasis captures the share devoted to technology transfer and facilitating collaborative projects with firms and other external actors. The results show that internal interface emphasis is positively associated with invention disclosures, while external interface emphasis is positively associated with licensing agreements. Because these measures are shares within a broader portfolio, greater emphasis on either focal cluster corresponds to a smaller share devoted to other TTO responsibilities, although not a direct substitution between internal and external interface work. By incorporating this allocation trade-off into a process-oriented analysis, the study contributes a portfolio-based understanding of TTO work. It identifies distinct associations between inward and outward facing role emphasis and upstream and downstream outcomes, highlighting the value of examining personnel attention across connected responsibilities rather than treating expansion of the TTO role repertoire as sufficient.