Academic Engagement and the External Patenting of University Inventions

This paper analyses the relationship between academic engagement and external patenting of university inventions at the international level. Drawing on agency theory and exploiting an original dataset, the paper develops and empirically tests a conceptual framework that evaluates the role of university-firm relationships in the exploitation of university inventions. The paper uses multivariate regression analysis based on a logit estimator that draws upon survey and archival data concerning more than 500 research projects spawning a patent application. Our results show that patents developed in the context of direct scientist-firm relationships are more likely to be commercialized through non-university channels. The external patenting of inventions developed with the use of university resources determines a loss of financial resources that a university could invest in future research or teaching activities. The provision of outcome-based rewards to get university scientists involved in technology transfer and the pursuit of research partnerships at the organizational level may mitigate the effect of academic engagement on external patenting.