Venture Generation & Technology Transfer

Theoretical Background
 

Technology transfer is often emphasized as a driver of innovation and growth. Innovations are frequently generated by entrepreneurs, spin-offs, and/or venture units in established companies and technology suppliers (research institutes, universities etc.). Therefore, regarding technology transfer, established companies search for new ideas and innovations – not only internally and in their venture units, but also externally by collaborating with partners. For this reason, these companies need competence in seeking and exploiting external ideas as well as in implementing these ideas into their business process. At the same time, there are different alternatives for idea creators, entrepreneurs and technology suppliers to achieve economic success, e.g. cooperations or commercial exploitation (licensing, disposal etc.) of research results, technologies, patents and even full-scale or partial company exists. Thus, technology transfers between science and economy are multifaceted. However, characteristics and success factors of technology transferare still largely unexplored. Moreover, this also applies to start-up activities and technology transfers in an international context where entrepreneurs and firms have to account for cultural values.

Objective
 

This research project has two emphases: Firstly, it deals with A) shapes and success factors of technology transfer between science and economy. Secondly, it analyses B) intercultural influences on start-up behavior and successes.

Methods
 

In this research area, the Chair of Strategic Management and Organization proceeds mainly empirically. Case studies and large-scale studies are conducted to evaluate technology transfers. Meanwhile, large-scale studies and multivariate methods are applied in dealing with intercultural effects. Also, explorative interviews and several questionnaire pre-tests are carried out. Within the questionnaires highly valid scales are applied. In the subsequent empirical part, the collected data is analyzed by means of elaborate statistical methods. As a result, causal relations concerning the effects of technology transfer are revealed.

Funding
 

Research on technology transfer was intensively supported by the project Move2Health (www.move2health.de), which was financed by BMVBS/BMI, Project Manager: Prof. Dr. Ricarda B. Bouncken. Research on intercultural aspects was also supported by Volkswagenstiftung (www.volkswagen-stiftung.de/en) in the project “Cross Cultural Innovation Processes“, Project Manager: Prof. Dr. Ricarda B. Bouncken.

Selected Publications
 

A Comparative Study of Cultural Influences on Intentions to found a New Venture in Germany and Poland (Ricarda B. Bouncken, Jevgenija Zagvozdina, Andreas Golze, Anna Mrozewska), in: International Journal of Business and Globalisation (IJBG), Nr. 1, 2009, S. 47 - 65. (Abstract)