A study on the implication of knowledge transfer and social capital on fostering innovation within the partnership between universities and Technology-Based Small Firms (TBSFs)

To remain competitive in the ongoing rapid transformation in the industry, technology-based small firms (TBSFs) have been establishing partnerships with universities for knowledge transfer to complement their limitations in terms of knowledge, skill and investment. This thesis is concerned with the transfer of knowledge between universities and TBSFs in fostering innovation and understanding the implications of social capital throughout the process.Reviewing previous work, particularly on the topics of knowledge transfer, innovation and social capital shows a clear gap in the literature. There is a lack of a holistic approach that integrates these topics to understand the implications of knowledge transfer and social capital for the fostering of innovation, considering the multiple dimensions of social capital and the subjective view of innovation. And this is particularly limited in the context of partnerships between universities and TBSFs. To address this gap, this study explores how social capital influences the transfer of knowledge in fostering innovation through partnerships between universities and TBSFs in the UK. The study adopts a multi-method qualitative approach, with four case studies of university partnerships with TBSFs through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme. The case studies consist of 13 interviews with the main stakeholders in the partnerships (KTP Associate, Academic Supervisor and Business Supervisor). The second method adopted is the expert interview. A total of 27 expert interviews were conducted, allowing an in-depth understanding to be provided of the implications of knowledge transfer and social capital for the fostering of innovation.Analysis of the findings has highlighted that social capital is significant in facilitating the transfer of knowledge to foster innovation. The study discusses the nature of the interrelation among the dimensions of social capital in promoting the transfer of knowledge to foster different types of innovation, namely product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation and organisational innovation, as well as new reputations for TBSFs. The study acknowledges the importance of developing and sustaining social capital among the partners through the whole process of partnership. Regular communication through formal, informal and online platform channels encourages bi-directional interactions between partners and supports the development of strong relationships between them. The study also highlights the importance and fruitfulness of proximity, informal hierarchies, prior ties and networks with a diversity of skills and knowledge in promoting knowledge transfer to foster innovation. In terms of relational capital, the study highlights the importance of friendship-based and professional relationships in encouraging openness to knowledge transfer. Trust, primarily based on the proven performance and capabilities of the academics, is also significant in facilitating the transfer of knowledge. Commitment, reciprocity, compromise and respect are also found to be necessary for the transfer of knowledge within these partnerships. In terms of cognitive capital, a shared understanding, transparency, shared innovation mindset, shared interests outside the project, common institutional background, cultural fit and, finally, open communication policy help to facilitate the transfer of knowledge in fostering innovation outcomes. This study makes two contributions. Firstly, it provides a holistic view of the implications for knowledge transfer and social capital in fostering innovation within the context of partnerships between universities and TBSFs. The study provides a conceptual framework that illustrates the theoretical interactions between knowledge transfer, innovation and social capital. The framework represents the multidimensionality of social capital in influencing the transfer of knowledge to foster innovation. It provides a shift in the standard view in the social capital literature, from structuralist perspectives to a relational and cognitive perspective. Secondly, in terms of a practical contribution, the research develops a list of recommendations to benefit future partnerships between universities and TBSFs. The recommendations are based on the challenges faced by the stakeholders during the development of innovation outcomes. The lists of recommendation mainly provide understanding to assist the diverse stakeholders within these partnerships. The use of the expert interviews as an additional method generates new insight into the recommendations. Keywords: Knowledge Transfer, Innovation, Social Capital, University-Industry Partnerships, Technology-Based Small Firm

From Scientist to Broker, and How Brokers Use Their Social Capital to Develop Talents at Universities

The social capital of an organization is one of the key success factors of enterprises that build their competitive position in the market. This resource, obtained from social structures, can also be used to achieve goals set for public sector organizations, such as universities. Universities operate in conditions of high uncertainty, changing roles, and expectations of stakeholders, which requires adaptability and flexibility of operation. In addition to improving the quality of research and teaching, one of the important evaluation criteria is also the ability to transfer knowledge to the economy and commercialization of research. One of the activities undertaken by universities to support employees in ongoing changes is the implementation of academic scouting, introducing departmental innovation brokers who play the role of coaches/mentors, supporting research and teaching staff by commercializing their research results. The aim of the article is to show how the social capital of departmental innovation brokers supports the development of competences of scientific and research scholars. Based on the conducted qualitative research, it was presented how brokers use their social capital to achieve multidimensional goals in relation to other people, as well as organizational goals resulting from the entrusted function. Factors hindering the cooperation of departmental innovation brokers with academics, which are manifested in various areas of social capital – structural, cognitive, and relational – were analyzed.The social capital of an organization is one of the key success factors of enterprises that build their competitive position in the market. This resource, obtained from social structures, can also be used to achieve goals set for public sector organizations, such as universities. Universities operate in conditions of high uncertainty, changing roles, and expectations of stakeholders, which requires adaptability and flexibility of operation. In addition to improving the quality of research and teaching, one of the important evaluation criteria is also the ability to transfer knowledge to the economy and commercialization of research. One of the activities undertaken by universities to support employees in ongoing changes is the implementation of academic scouting, introducing departmental innovation brokers who play the role of coaches/mentors, supporting research and teaching staff by commercializing their research results. The aim of the article is to show how the social capital of departmental innovation brokers supports the development of competences of scientific and research scholars. Based on the conducted qualitative research, it was presented how brokers use their social capital to achieve multidimensional goals in relation to other people, as well as organizational goals resulting from the entrusted function. Factors hindering the cooperation of departmental innovation brokers with academics, which are manifested in various areas of social capital – structural, cognitive, and relational – were analyzed

Are Spanish TTOs Prepared to Innovation in a COVID Context?

The analysis of the characteristics of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) is particularly important as they constitute mediating units in the relationship between the market and university research. They are responsible for the transfer and exploitation of knowledge arising in the university context. Previous studies have been inconclusive as to the importance that the size, professionalisation or age of TTOs might have on the transfer process. However, the need to explore new markets, recognise new opportunities and identify potential customers points to the importance of TTOs having a dual exploitative and exploratory orientation and an extensive relational network. More recent research in the literature, based on ambidexterity and network theory, points to the impact that these variables could have on change management and innovation in uncertain and changing environments, such as those faced by TTOs in the current pandemic context. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyse whether Spanish TTOs, due to their ambidextrous orientation at the organisational and individual level, and their relational network with academic and market actors, are prepared to promote innovation in a COVID-19 context. Based on a cluster analysis of 29 Spanish TTOs, our results show that just a few of the Spanish TTOs surveyed would be prepared, from the perspective of ambidexterity and their relational capital, to promote innovation in a COVID-19 context. In conclusion, Spanish TTOs and their employees should focus more on ambidexterity and building extensive relational capital so that, through mentoring, training, incubation or the provision of various resources, they can help academics take advantage of the innovation opportunities offered by the changing and uncertain environment.This work has been co-financed by the 2014-2020 ERDF Operational Programme and by the Department of Economy, Knowledge, Enterprise and Universities of the Regional Government of Andalusia. Project reference: FEDER-UCA18-107689. The translation was made possible with the help of INDESS (University Institute for Sustainable Social Development, of the University of Cadiz)

Promoting Academic Entrepreneurship in Europe and the United States: Creating an Intellectual Property Regime to Facilitate the Efficient Transfer of Knowledge from the Lab to the Patient

In 2014, the European Commission announced the launch of a study of knowledge transfer by public research organizations and other institutes of higher learning “to determine which additional measures might be needed to ensure an optimal flow of knowledge between the public research organisations and business thereby contributing to the development of the knowledge based economy.” As the European Commission has recognized, the European Union (“EU”) needs to take action to “unlock the potential of IPRs [intellectual property rights] that lie dormant in universities, research institutes and companies.” This article builds on our earlier work on structuring efficient pharmaceutical public-private partnerships (“PPPPs”), but focuses on the regulatory infrastructure necessary to support the efficient commercialization of publicly funded university medical research in both the European Union and the United States (“U.S.”). Our comparative analysis of the EU and U.S. approaches to translational medicine shows that there are lessons to be shared. The EU can apply the experiences from the U.S. Bayh-Dole Act and PPPPs in the United States, and the United States can emulate certain of the open innovation aspects of the European Innovative Medicines Initiative and the tighter patenting standards imposed by the European Patent Office. Thus, a secondary purpose of this article is suggesting amendments to the U.S. laws governing the patenting and licensing of government-funded technology to prevent undue burdens on the sharing of certain upstream medical discoveries and research tools

Knowledge flow across inter-firm networks: the influence of network resources, spatial proximity, and firm size

The objective of this paper is to analyze the characteristics and nature of the networks firms utilize to access knowledge and facilitate innovation. The paper draws on the notion of network resources, distinguishing two types: social capital – consisting of the social relations and networks held by individuals; and network capital – consisting of the strategic and calculative relations and networks held by firms. The methodological approach consists of a quantitative analysis of data from a survey of firms operating in knowledge-intensive sectors of activity. The key findings include: social capital investment is more prevalent among firms frequently interacting with actors from within their own region; social capital investment is related to the size of firms; firm size plays a role in knowledge network patterns; and network dynamism is an important source of innovation. Overall, firms investing more in the development of their inter-firm and other external knowledge networks enjoy higher levels of innovation. It is suggested that an over-reliance on social capital forms of network resource investment may hinder the capability of firms to manage their knowledge networks. It is concluded that the link between a dynamic inter-firm network environment and innovation provides an alternative thesis to that advocating the advantage of network stability

Spatial and Sectoral Characteristics of Relational Capital in Innovation Activity

The paper presents prima facie evidence of the role of relational capital in innovation activities, and underlines the spatial and sectoral difference of the effects of relational capital on innovation processes. Relational cpaital is defined in this paper as the intensity of information and knowledge exchange measured through the intensity of cooperation among local actors. The paper is structured in two parts. In the first part, a review on the literature is presented, and the similarities and differences between the concept of relational capital and the more common knowledge spillovers is underlined. In the second part, the empirical results of the analysis is presented; the empirical analysis is based on a database built at the firm level, located both in urban and non-urban areas. The database consists of 89 observations, developed in three urban areas (La Spezia, Genova and Savona) and three specialised areas in Liguria, an Italian region. With a quantitative approach, the paper replies to the following key questions: - is relational capital a determinant for innovation activities? - If it is so, does it have the same role in urban and non urban areas? - Does it have a different role in specialised and despecialised areas? The empirical results to these questions help in understanding whether it is true that competitive city regions in the global economy are the major locations for relatively exclusive knowledge and learning resources. Our impression is that it is difficult to support this argument in general: if relational capital plays a role in innovation activities, it may very well be that its role strongly depends on the sectoral as well as the spatial characteristics in which the innovation process takes place. Non-urban areas characterised by strong local synergies and highly specialised activities may even be more facilitated in their inovation activity.

Securing intellectual capital:an exploratory study in Australian universities

Purpose – To investigate the links between IC and the protection of data, information and knowledge in universities, as organizations with unique knowledge-related foci and challenges.Design/methodology/approach – We gathered insights from existing IC-related research publications to delineate key foundational aspects of IC, identify and propose links to traditional information security that impact the protection of IC. We conducted interviews with key stakeholders in Australian universities in order to validate these links.Findings – Our investigation revealed two kinds of embeddedness characterizing the organizational fabric of universities: (1) vertical and (2) horizontal, with an emphasis on the connection between these and IC-related knowledge protection within these institutions.Research implications – There is a need to acknowledge the different roles played by actors within the university, and the relevance of information security to IC-related preservation.Practical implications – Framing information security as an IC-related issue can help IT security managers communicate the need for knowledge security with executives in higher education, and secure funding to preserve and secure such IC-related knowledge, once its value is recognized.Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to explore the connections between data and information security and the three core components of IC’s knowledge security in the university context

Universities as Embedded Knowledge Hubs and the Challenge of Local Development the Us Lessons and the Italian Case

This article discusses the claim of a new paradigm in the knowledge production and diffusion process, and the need to assess the regional and local implications of this modal shift. After introductory remarks included in the first part of the paper, its next section introduces the theme of localisation of knowledge as a source of regional development; section three examines the lessons we can extract from the US university system (with a particular regard to the case of Johns Hopkins University and the recent project for a biotech park in the city of Baltimore); in section four an illustration of the Italian University system leads to a description of the current evolution of the University of Bologna toward a new entrepreneurial role. The last part of the paper discusses the embedded role of universities in the light of the two cases presented in the previous sections and draws the conclusions in terms of regional policy