Academic Entrepreneurship and Long-Term Business Relationships: Understanding ‘Commercialization’ Activities

Abstract

This paper develops a critique of linear, short-term and transaction-based approaches to universities’ roles in innovation systems that separate the production of knowledge within universities from the decision to commercialize that knowledge. In particular, it examines the concept of ‘commercialization’ activities within universities as somehow separate from the product of knowledge to be commercialized. Through a specific case-study of collaborative research between the university and the private sector, the research goes on to examine a long-term academic-industrial relationship that evolved over time and produced benefits not necessarily obvious at the start.

Key words:

• Academic entrepreneurship
• Commercialization
• University-industry relationships