Incubator policy to support entrepreneurial development, technology transfer and commercialization

Author(s):  
Jarunee Wonglimpiyarat

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the incubator policy to support entrepreneurial development. In particular, the study reviews the incubation programs and strategies of technology transfer and commercialization as well as the innovation policies to support innovation commercialization in Thailand, based on the Triple Helix model. Design/methodology/approach – This study employs the use of case study methodology to understand in-depth the operations of major university business incubators (UBIs) and technology business incubators in enhancing the process of technology commercialization. The study examines case studies of leading UBIs (Mahidol University, Chulalongkorn University and King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi) and science and technology incubators of the National Science and Technology Agency (NSTDA) and the National Innovation Agency (NIA). The operations and incubating policies are analyzed through the lens of Triple Helix model. The interviews were carried out using the semi-structured questionnaire to understand the views of trilateral parties (the government, university and industry) related to the concept of Triple Helix model. The interviews were carried out with major stakeholders including policy makers, policy analysts, government officials, managers running incubators, incubates, university professors, research managers. Interview data were supported by an examination of secondary data so as to provide a cross check on internal validity. Findings – The results have shown that the incubation program is one of the major policy mechanisms to support innovation and suggested that UBIs should act as an intermediary between the spheres of university and industry to provide interactive linkages and promote effective utilization of university research. The empirical study provides insightful implications on the move toward the entrepreneurial university and the dynamics of the Triple Helix system in stimulating innovation development and diffusion. Originality/value – By focussing on the major UBIs and technology business incubators in one of the Asian Tigers – Thailand, the study offers the model of university technology commercialization which could be applied to other developing economies. The study provides useful lessons and insights on the process of technology transfer and commercialization through the university incubation mechanism (university technology commercialization).

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6156
Author(s):  
Insu Cho ◽  
Young Hoon Kwak ◽  
Jaehyeon Jun

Universities pays a lot of attention and investment in the technology commercialization for its sustainable development and social contribution under Korean government-driven policies. However, when compared to US or European universities, the outcomes of the technology commercialization in universities are relatively inactive. Therefore, this study aims to propose a new idea-oriented framework of University-Technology Commercialization (UTC). To achieve this, this study explores the sustainable mechanism from idea to technology commercialization in the volatile environment by employing dynamic capabilities framework. This study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify causal relationships among the variables with a 2014 to 2016 dataset from ‘Higher Education in KOREA’. This study collected national and cross-sectional data from different time periods to design our longitudinal study. Our study examines UTC activities related to sustainable idea development mechanism from dynamic capability framework. The results show the importance of start-up clubs as a first step for idea exploration in university technology commercialization and patents as important for both technology transfers and start-ups. Our findings offer new UTC directions for university policy makers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Fang ◽  
Panpan Zhang ◽  
Sehoon Kim

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore recent national human resource development (NHRD) practices in China through a literature review focusing on programs and activities that represent the roles and interactions among the government, industry and universities. Design/methodology/approach To effectively consolidate previous work and conceptualize the recent development of the NHRD practices in China, a semi-narrative literature review was used to explore and analyze NHRD-related functions and activities. Findings Findings from the literature review showed that although the central government still plays a predominant role in China, universities and corporations are increasingly playing a critical role in developing an innovative and skilled workforce. At the regional level, NHRD initiatives in China have been increasingly undertaken by universities, industry and government–industry–university collaborations. The authors also found a disparity between developed and underdeveloped regions in terms of NHRD in China. Research limitations/implications This study used the triple helix model as a framework that provides an insightful lens for researchers to examine how various social entities interact with each other and jointly contribute to NHRD. Further case studies are needed to generate evidence-based knowledge to the NHRD literature. Practical implications A more systematic NHRD leadership structure at both the national and local level is desired to unleash the potential of bottom-up development and active government–industry–university collaboration. To counter regional divergence in NHRD in China, intra- and cross-regional collaborations are helpful in improving resources distribution and workforce development. Originality/value Based on open system theory, this study focused on programs and activities that represent the roles and interactions among the government, industry and university in Chinese NHRD through the lens of the triple helix model. In addition, this study offers a conceptual model of Chinese NHRD to help scholars and practitioners understand the transitional efforts in NHRD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 698-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete Sá ◽  
Beatriz Casais ◽  
Joaquim Silva

PurposeBy using the Triple Helix model, the purpose of this paper is to uncover the perceptions of nascent entrepreneurs about a university–industry–government collaboration program, in particular about the role of each agent to foster rural entrepreneurship; the value and effect of this collaboration; and their own contributions to local development.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study method is adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs and secondary data. The text is analyzed using qualitative content analysis.FindingsThe interaction of the Triple Helix partners is perceived as valuable both at the personal and the business levels. One of the most salient results is the value ascribed to the knowledge-rich environment created. Entrepreneurs are aware of their contribution to local development, identifying economic, social and cultural effects.Practical implicationsThe research strengthens the importance of the joint efforts of the Triple Helix partners by uncovering a number of outputs from their collaboration, which affect both the entrepreneurs and local development through entrepreneurship.Originality/valuePrevious studies assume that the Triple Helix fosters technological innovation that favors regional development, mainly by adopting a macro-level perspective. This study makes a contribution by furthering the knowledge on the micro-level dynamics of the Triple Helix, through the view of low tech, rural entrepreneurs, considering their context.


Author(s):  
Mariana Imaz ◽  
Claudia Sheinbaum

Purpose In September 2015, the UN member states approved an ambitious agenda toward the end of poverty, the pursuit of equity and the protection of the planet in the form of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. The purpose of this paper is to raise a concern about the context and framework that science, technology and innovation have in the finalized text for adoption that frames the SDGs especially regarding environmental degradation. The authors argue that emphasizing technology transfer in the agenda has the risk to do not recognize other technological alternatives such as eco-technologies, and endorse a limited vision of the role of science and innovation in the achievement of the SDGs. Science for sustainability has to go further than technology transfer, even questioning the limits of the current patterns of intensive use of natural resources and inequity in consumption. By discussing the historical backgrounds of this paradigm and elaborating on the role of science to achieve sustainability in a broader sense. It is in these terms that inter- and intra-discipline and the roles of researchers in sustainability transitions acquire relevance. Design/methodology/approach Although many theories regarding human development are in place and under discussion, the dominant view, reflected in the UN agreement, is that the progress of a country can be measured by the growth in the per capita gross domestic product. This variable determines if a society is able to reduce poverty and satisfy its basic needs for present and future generations (Article 3: United Nations (UN), 2015). Progress and economic growth in several aspects of human development has been substantial over the past 40 years. However, at the same time, the state of the environment continues to decline (UNEP, 2012). The obvious inquiry of these opposing trends is whether progress irremediably comes at the cost of environmental degradation. In 1972, the Club of Rome’s report entitled “Limits to growth” (Meadows et al. 1972) confronted the viability of perpetual economic growth. The report alerted of the impossibility of endless growth in population and production in a finite planet (Gómez-Baggethun and Naredo, 2015). The essay forecasted future crises of food and energy if the population and economic growth continued to grow at the same rate of the first half of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, the catastrophic projections were not met, mostly because of great advances in agriculture, water and energy technologies. Findings The SDGs constitute a relevant international recognition of the importance of the three edges of sustainable development. However, the pathways toward the achievement of the SDGs need to fully recognize that poverty, inequalities and global environmental problems are expressing a deeper crisis in the shape of economic growth, patterns of production and consumption and, in general, the logic of no limits in the exploitation of natural resources (Sheinbaum-Pardo, 2015). For this reason, the science of sustainability requires a deep understanding of the technological change and that technology is not the only approach toward sustainability. Research limitations/implications The paper reflects a conceptual discussion of the narrow vision of science and technology in the SDGs and their UN framework. The most important objective in the UN documents is technology transfer. This has the risk to do not recognize other technological alternatives such as eco-technologies, and endorse a limited vision of the role of science and innovation in the achievement of the SDGs. Practical implications An important discussion of the key points regarding SDGs is developed. Social implications “Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development (UN, 2015)” presents a narrow vision and a limiting role to the science of sustainability. Moreover, if these issues are not recognized, the achievement of the SDGs will continue to gain only marginal success. Originality/value It brings out a very important discussion of the role of science and technology in the ambitious UN agenda of the SDGs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-40
Author(s):  
Fernando Fantoni Bencke ◽  
Eric Charles Henri Dorion ◽  
Cleber Cristiano Prodanov ◽  
Pelayo Munhoz Olea

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze and understand the condition that lead to a constitution’s path of Brazilian Science Parks, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, and consequently to propose a new dimension of analysis to the Triple Helix. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used to elaborate a descriptive and exploratory research design, where a case study method was applied on six science parks. Findings The use of the Triple Helix model could not explain the Brazilian Science Park development realities. A new element, related to the innovation model, was considered as a determinant in the constitution of the Brazilian parks, and is represented as the community leadership category, as the Fourth Helix. Research limitations/implications Since it is a qualitative study, the results obtained have a strong relation with the local, cultural and historically constructed contexts. Bias from the researchers’ subjectivity in the data collection procedures is present, although the validity and reliability measures were performed. Practical implications The construction of designed and implemented specific “fertile models,” which are capable of developing the necessary conditions for the constitution and the consolidation of science parks in Brazil. Social implications Such empirical contribution comes from data referring to spontaneous and endogenous local community development movements. Originality/value The identification of a new element of the Triple Helix innovation model is represented as the community leadership category and is considered as a key determinant in the constitution of the Brazilian Science Parks.


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