The transfer of federally funded technology: A study of small, entrepreneurial, and ambidextrous firms.

In this paper, we study the technology transfer mechanisms used to protect intellectual property by small, entrepreneurial firms that received Phase II research awards from the US Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The technology transfer mechanisms considered are patenting and publishing. Controlling for the agencies that funded the Phase II research (DOD and NIH), we find that the presence of a university as a research partner engenders greater patenting and publishing. We also find that minority-owned firms patent more intensely than do other firms. A portion of the firms patent and publish; we define these firms, based on our advanced review of the literature, to be ambidextrous. Ambidextrous firms are more likely to include a university as a research partner, to be male-owned and minority-owned, and to be relatively small. Our findings represent a new and important advancement to the literature. Plain English Summary: This paper considers the technology transfer activity of small, entrepreneurial firms that are conducting research funded by the US Small Business Innovation Research program. Patenting and publishing are the technology transfer mechanisms used to protect firms' intellectual property from the funded research. We show that firms use these mechanisms more often when a university is a research partner. Larger firms do not appear to be more active in patenting or publishing than smaller firms, although smaller firms tend to use both mechanisms. Also, minority-owned firms patent more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]