University Technology Transfer Productivity

Abstract

University technology transfer activities have become increasingly important as a source of information dissemination and revenue since the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980. A two-equation recursive model and technology transfer data from the Statistics Access for Tech Transfer (STATT) published by the Association of Technology Managers (AUTM) for the years 2008-2012, North America's High-Tech Economy: The Geography of Knowledge-Based Industries published by the Milken Institute based on the year 2007, A Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States by the National Research Council based on the academic year 2005-2006, and university intellectual property policies are used to explain variation in technology disclosures and outputs from technology transfer efforts across 86 U.S. research universities. Technology transfer outputs include the number of licenses executed, licenses generating income, cumulative active licenses, and licensing income. The following factors enhance university technology disclosures: high quality faculty, technology transfer office staff size, and research expenditures. This study also found that technology disclosures are not positively related to revenue sharing incentives to university scientists. The results suggest that technology transfer outputs are significantly related to number of technology disclosures.