Creating University Spin‐Offs: A Science‐Based Design Perspective^*

Abstract

Academic entrepreneurship by means of university spinoffs commercializes technological breakthroughs, which may otherwise remain unexploited. However, many universities face difficulties in creating spinoffs. This article adopts a science-based design approach, to connect scholarly research with the pragmatics of effectively creating university spinoffs. This approach serves to link the practice of university spinoff creation, via design principles, to the scholarly knowledge in this area. As such, science-based design promotes the interplay between emergent and deliberate design processes. This framework is used to develop a set of design principles that are practice-based as well as grounded in the existing body of research on university spinoffs. A case-study of spinoff creation at a Dutch university illustrates the interplay between initial processes characterized by emergent design and the subsequent process that was more deliberate in nature. This case study also suggests there are two fundamentally different phases in building capacity for university spinoff creation: first, an infrastructure for spinoff creation (e.g. including a collaborative network of investors, managers and advisors) is developed, that then enables support activities to individual spinoff ventures. This study concludes that, to build and increase capacity for creating spinoffs, universities should:1. create university-wide awareness of entrepreneurship opportunities, stimulate the development of entrepreneurial ideas, and subsequently screen entrepreneurs and ideas by programs targeted at students and academic staff; 2. support start-up teams in composing and learning the right mix of venturing skills and knowledge by providing access to advice, coaching and training; 3. help starters in obtaining access to resources and developing their social capital by creating a collaborative network organization of investors, managers and advisors; 4. set clear and supportive rules and procedures that regulate the university spinoff process, enhance fair treatment of involved parties, and separate spinoff processes from academic research and teaching; 5. shape a university culture that reinforces academic entrepreneurship, by creating norms and exemplars that motivate entrepreneurial behavior. These and other results of this study illustrate how science-based design can connect scholarly research to the pragmatics of actually creating spinoffs in academic institutions.2

How can universities facilitate academic spin-offs? An entrepreneurial competency perspective

“…Prior frameworks typically take the university as the unit of analysis and study successful environments for spin-off creation (Brunitz et al 2008;van Burg et al 2008;O'Shea et al 2007). In contrast, this paper has outlined an entrepreneurial competency perspective taking the firm's perspective.…”

University characteristics as the success factor of academic spin-offs

“…Van Burg et al (2008) emphasize Þ ve key areas for designing and implementation of academic spin-offs. The Þ rst area includes the need of the creation of conscience at the level of entire university on entrepreneurial opportunities, by stimulation of atmosphere for the development of entrepreneurial ideas.…”

“…The fourth area demands loud and precise formulation of the rules and procedures for academic spin-offs by which fair treatment of interested parties will be provided, the conß ict of interest between commercial and academic activities will be prevented and the issue of risk taking of failure will be regulated. The Þ fth area includes the development of organization culture that empowers entrepreneurship through the system of values and norms by which entrepreneurial behavior is being stimulated (Van Burg et al 2008).…”

Entrepreneurship, University Research, and Growth: European North vs. South

“…On the issue of network development, Burg et al (2008) stress that there are two phases in developing academic spin-offs. Originally, the existence of the appropriate infrastructure is required, which includes a collaboration network of investors, administrators and consultants.…”

“…Originally, the existence of the appropriate infrastructure is required, which includes a collaboration network of investors, administrators and consultants. Then this network allows the support of separate entrepreneurial ventures (Burg et al, 2008).…”