TTOs key to academic spinoffs – promotes disclosure and diffusion

[Alice, “Engagement of academics in university technology transfer: Opportunity and necessity academic entrepreneurship”, European Economic Review, 123, Elsevier, Accessed 7/16, GDI-IM] 

In turn, the rationale behind starting a new business is strongly related to the context (Audretsch et al., 2015; Casson, 2005; Clarysse et al., 2005). In a more traditional context, where academic spinoffs are generated to exploitation a business opportunity, a successful commercialization strategy may be minimizing the cost of placing on the market the company’s innovation. It is thus a task of the spinning out university to ensure the best environment for the diffusion of the innovation. This has led to the creation of the Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs henceforth), with the specific aim of reducing costs associated with the process of innovation diffusion (Audretsch et al., 2014; Siegel et al., 2003). In a context instead, where academic spinoffs constitute a compensatory self-employment opportunity when academic inventors cannot find a stable position within the academia, TTOS play a more crucial role by providing individuals competencies, informa- tion, and in general resources they lack (Bercovitz and Feldman, 2008; Clarysse et al., 2011). Without TTOs’ supporting and coaching activities necessity academic spinoffs can hardly survive. Then, in the first case, TTOs are specifically arranged to stimulate invention disclosures among the researchers, to protect inventions from copying and assistance to researchers in the contractual part of their research. In the second case, they offer incubation services, which make it possible for aca- demics to set up their new business staying on their campus, as well as a variety of advice and coaching activities towards the academics and help in finding experienced managers from the industry to help support the new firm.