Students as scientists’ co-pilots at the onset of technology transfer: a two-way learning process

To provide further knowledge and technology transfer to society, universities are exploring new collaborative models. These new models are regarded as promising alternatives to the patent-centric linear model. However, their implementation requires revising the roles of the actors in the technology transfer process and their relationships. While collaborative models could indeed be an attractive option for universities, there is limited evidence on how these collaboration processes could be effectively introduced. We use a longitudinal embedded multiple case study to explore the contribution of knowledge interactions between scientists and students in the preliminary steps of the technology transfer process. We investigate the learning dynamics between the focal actor, i.e., the scientist, and the students in a university setting to decipher how the introduction of such collaborative processes can contribute to knowledge and technology transfer. Our results suggest that students enrolled in an educational program can contribute to the scientist’s interest and engagement in technology transfer. However, we find out that the extent of the students’ contribution depends on the shared consensus over the technology function and the openness of the scientist to reconsider the technology’s meaning. We contribute to the ongoing exploration of alternative models for technology transfer and the identification of additional roles that students can take in entrepreneurial university ecosystems.

An Analysis On The Dynamic Effect of Enterprise’s Environmental Governance On Green Technology Innovation: New Explanation From The Perspective of Knowledge And Technology Transfer

Environmental governance (EG) and green technology innovation (GTI) are important means to promote the construction of ecological civilization of all countries around the world. Past scholars focused on the impact of EG on GTI based on the static perspective usually, but ignored the impact of the dynamic development law of enterprises. This study differentiates, takes enterprise’s life cycle stage as the breakthrough point, and analyzes the dynamic effect of EG on GTI at the first time. Further, considering the important of information interaction among different enterprise in the background of collaborative innovation, this study reveals the evolution trend of enterprise’s knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) in different life cycle stage, and explains the internal mechanism of the dynamic effect mentioned above. The theoretical model finds that for enterprises in different life cycle stage, the impact of EG on GTI depends on abatement cost and innovation compensation effect two aspects. The development of enterprise’s KTT helps to strengthen the incentive effect of EG on GTI, thus causing the differentiated GTI effect among different enterprises under the restrict of EG. The empirical research results based on the micro data of Shanghai and Shenzheng A-share listed firms from 2013 to 2018 in China confirm the theoretical inference. EG has a positive role in promoting GTI, however, compared with the enterprises in growth and mature stage, the positive innovation effect does not hold for the enterprises in recession stage. The statistical results show that the enterprise’s KTT in growth and mature stage is significantly better than that of enterprises in recession. Moreover, the empirical analysis results confirm that enterprise’s KTT have a positive moderating effect on the relationship between EG and GTI. Combined with the above conclusions, this study puts forward several useful management implications for improving the designing of environmental governance system, optimizing the cooperation of GTI and the EG decision-making under the background of collaborative innovation.

Students as Scientists’ Co-pilots in the Onset of Technology Transfer: A Two-Way Learning Process

To generate knowledge and technology transfer, universities are exploring new collaborative models. These new models aim to include actors that can have a positive impact on the technology transfer efforts of engaged academics. While open and collaborative models for technology transfer are seen as promising alternatives to the patent-centric linear model, there are limited insights on how these collaboration processes unfold and on their possible implications for the commercialization of new technologies.We explore the dynamics between the focal actor, i.e., the scientist, and a new actor in technology transfer, i.e., the students, in a university setting. We use an inductive, embedded multiple-case study to explore the contribution of knowledge interactions between scientists and students on the first steps of the technology transfer process.Our results suggest that the students’ contribution in the initial stages of the technology transfer process is influenced by the level of the scientist-student team consensus on the technology function as well as the flexibility and openness of the scientist to reconsider the technology meaning. We contribute to the ongoing debate on alternative technology transfer models and on the possible roles of students in academic ecosystems

Assessment of Business Infrastructure in 2018

The aim of the research is to assess development of entrepreneurship infrastructure of various countries according to opinions of experts from these countries. The elements were: knowledge and technology transfer infrastructure; commercial and professional infrastructure; production and information infrastructure; market infrastructure; institutions providing easy access to existing markets; social and cultural infrastructure. The research is based on methods of economic analysis, analogies, generalizations, classification, system, and structural approaches. Information from the Global entrepreneurship monitoring project report for 54 countries was used as input data. The estimation of the distribution of indicator values on the effectiveness of the six main infrastructure elements of business development reflecting the opinions of experts from these countries with the use of mathematic models of normal distribution. During the study we determined the average indicator values characterizing experts ' opinions on the effectiveness of each of the six key infrastructure elements of business development on a scale of ten; the intervals of their changes characteristic for the majority of countries were also considered. New knowledge about the effectiveness of infrastructure elements of business development in various countries has been obtained.

Cross-border Entrepreneurial Education, Development and Knowledge and Technology Transfer: Experiences with the Cambridge–Riga Venture Camp Programme—A Reflective Report

Over a 6-year period, a collaboration has been developed between a group in Cambridge, UK, and two Latvian Universities, Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and other organisations, including Riga City Council, supported by the British Embassy Riga and the Latvian Embassy in London, enabling structured processes to be developed to identify aspiring entrepreneurs based in Latvia and Estonia and provide education, coaching, mentoring and encouragement first in the home territory, leading to an intense whole-week development venture camp in Cambridge for selected candidates. The programme was extended to provide ongoing business development support for a number of entrepreneurial companies with global potential, and the developing venture camp activities attracted, supported and helped accelerate the evolution in Riga of an innovative ecosystem providing leadership in the Baltics. Practical examples of cross-border knowledge and technology transfers have been recorded as part of the Cambridge–Riga Venture Camp process. This report presents the development, content and outcomes of this innovative project aimed at supporting the emergence of entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities of Latvian delegates to the project. Detailed appendices including data and narrative based survey of outcomes and assessments containing structured feedback from delegates participating in the 2020 Cambridge-Riga Venture Camp are available as the Supplementary material online. This is an interim report, since the activity is ongoing and continuously developing.