The role and experience of start-ups in commercializing university inventions: Startup licensees at the University of California

Abstract

This chapter summarizes findings from case studies of university-based start-up firms. Case studies were used to contribute descriptive accounts and a set of discussion points to this emerging area of research. The case studies contribute several important insights on the invention-innovation process, focusing on the role of public institutions — such as university research labs and federal funding programs — and the interaction between public and private interests. In addition, these case studies highlight the importance of the inventor's personal (tacit) knowledge in developing the technology.

Citation

Lowe, R.A. (2001), "The role and experience of start-ups in commercializing university inventions: Startup licensees at the University of California", Libecap, G.D. (Ed.) Entrepreneurial inputs and outcomes: New studies of entrepreneurship in the United States (Advances in the Study of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Growth, Vol. 13), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 189-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-4736(01)13008-0