For centuries, the collaboration between higher education and industry (or academic engagement) has become an exciting topic for all related stakeholders, such as researchers, policymakers, or entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, there has yet to be any comprehensive understanding of the extant literature on this topic. Motivated by this gap, this study…

The literature on Entrepreneurial University has emphasised the importance of encouraging and supporting the entrepreneurial intent of students, both PhDs and undergraduates. However, more research is needed about how PhD students can be supported in their entrepreneurial and technology transfer initiatives. This study seeks to contribute to this…

Both the managerial literature and policymakers have recently emphasized the potential role of university spin-offs (USOs) as drivers of regional development. Specifically, USOs may support regional development by exploiting the scientific knowledge developed by their parent universities into industrial innovations, thus spreading knowledge…

Big Science is a fertile learning environment for the transfer of knowledge and technology to suppliers since it boosts economic performance, innovation and reputation. However, despite the growing importance of this topic in the literature, empirical evidence is still limited. This paper investigates technology transfer from Big Science through…

Universities are presently considered vital players in the transfer of knowledge, innovation and technology to the economy. This is one of the roots of the diffuse reform processes evident in most European tertiary sectors. In almost 25 years Italian universities have experienced many changes that deeply reshaped their academic institutions. Among…

The role of the university in society and the economy is evolving. Universities produce knowledge that promotes technological developments, which are, in turn, critical to economic growth and competitiveness in the global economy. Therefore, it is increasingly expected that universities become more entrepreneurial and assume this third mission in…

This article focuses on co-development technology transfer models. It offers an empirical analysis of a pioneer model applied in Italy: the proof-of-concept network (PoCN) applied by AREA Science Park in Trieste. Starting with a review of the literature, the authors identify the drivers that facilitate collaboration between the industrial and…

The article aims at underlining the role played by extra-academic and autonomous organizations strongly connected with university institutions and researchers in producing, acquiring, transferring and transforming knowledge. The study examines a particular Italian case, the "Politecnico Calzaturiero", a private institution providing…

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to evaluate how advisory services stimulate the adoption of rural development policies (RDP) aiming at value creation. Design/methodology/approach: By linking the use of agricultural extension services (AES) to policies for value creation, we will put forward an empirical analysis in Italy, with the aim of…

This research examined strategic actions in European universities through the institutional evaluation reports of the EUA. EUA reports for 21 universities from seven European countries were included in the data set. Qualitative inquiry was carried out and six sub-sections in the reports were used as established themes. The findings were then…

This paper contributes to the literature on innovation brokerage by analysing the effects of brokerage activities on the innovation and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors provide a detailed description of the Technology Transfer Service (TTS), credited as a European best-practice innovation broker, at Area Science…

The open innovation perspective offers a powerful framework which can be used in developing an understanding of the relationships that are established between academia and industry in the process of technology transfer. This paper develops a fourfold classification of technology transfer activities based on consultancy and the protection…

The modernisation process of universities has historically highlighted the necessity of providing support structures to facilitate contacts and relationships between research groups and the outside environment, with the objective of increasing the quantity and improving the quality of collaborative research activity. The first steps in this…

Spin-off firms may be seen as a key mechanism for the external transmission of knowledge developed at universities. The proliferation of academic spin-offs in recent years has led universities to develop specific rules for the regulation and management of the spin-off process. This paper draws on the Italian experience. More than fifty Italian…

Scholars and policy makers recognize that collaboration between industry and the public research institutions is a necessity for innovation and national economic development. This work presents an econometric model which expresses the university capability for collaboration with industry as a function of size, location and research quality. The…