Firm Utilization of University Scientific Research.

A study was done of the transfer of knowledge between academic and firm scientists. Beginning with theories of university and university scientist behavior and a theory of firm and firm scientist behavior, the research used a bibliometric analysis of articles prepared by firm-based scientists within the computer equipment and aircraft industries. Preliminary results indicate that the rate of university collaboration by firms in these industries is 12 percent and that the rate of utilization of university research is 43 percent with university-based publications the most heavily cited of all author affiliation categories. University collaboration and utilization varied across industries and by firm size: the computer equipment industry had four times as many actively publishing firms as the aircraft industry. While individual article characteristics consistently had predictive value for firm publication practices, proximity to university research did not. In addition, industrial research drew on university produced papers more frequently for theoretical research than for applied work. Larger firms used university research, and produced and used theoretical work more often than smaller firms while papers reflecting applied research were more often produced by smaller firms. Included are extensive tables of data in an appendix and 51 references. (JB)