Partnering with universities: A good choice for nanotechnology start-up firms?

Title: Partnering with universities: A good choice for nanotechnology start-up firms?
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: February 2012
Published In: Small Business Economics
Description: The role of universities in supporting economic development has been explored in studies emphasizing the mechanisms of technology transfer and knowledge spillover. However, in addition to these forms of intellectual capital, university scientists bring other resources into research collaboration and contribute to firm partnerships in both direct and indirect ways. This paper develops the concept of resource spillover, which captures the various ways in which firms can benefit from collaborations with university scientists. The study categorizes the resources possessed by university scientists into intellectual capital, social capital, and positional capital, and tests the impact of each on the performance of firms. Using a sample of new nanotechnology-based firms in the USA, the study finds that the benefits to firms from university scientist research collaboration include enhancements to perceived research capacity and technology potential, which in turn may increase chances of securing external funding. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Ivan Allen College Contributors:
Citation: Small Business Economics. 38. Issue 2. 197 - 215. ISSN 0921-898X. DOI 10.1007/s11187-009-9248-9.
Related Departments:
  • School of Public Policy