Michael D. Santoro

Firm size and technology centrality in industry-university interactions

University research centers can be beneficial to industrial firms by providing firms with a number of relationship alternatives that facilitate the advancement of knowledge and new technologies. This multi-method field study indicates that larger more mechanistic firms especially those in resource intense industrial sectors use knowledge transfer and research support relationships to build competencies in non-core technological areas. In contrast, smaller more organic firms particularly those in high tech industrial sectors focus more on problem solving in core technological areas through technology transfer and cooperative research relationships. We also found that champions at the firm play a key role in these dynamics. Implications for industry and universities are discussed.

The Application of External Knowledge: Organizational Conditions for Exploration and Exploitation

A firms ability to acquire and exploit external knowledge is often critical to achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage. In this study, we adopt a multi-dimensional view of absorptive capacity and focus specifically on the application of external knowledge that has been obtained via university-firm collaborations. We examine various organizational conditions that we propose influence a firms ability to apply external knowledge for explorative and exploitative innovations. We collected data by a survey of firms in industries that frequently work with university research centres (URCs) and from publicly available sources. Results show that predictors of exploration and exploitation of the application of external knowledge differ. Surprisingly, technological relatedness, a common measure of absorptive capacity, is negatively associated with the application of external knowledge to explorative innovations, indicating that knowledge from more distant sources is applied more to exploration. Results also indicate that the effects of two external learning capabilities (prior experience with URCs and technological capability) on knowledge application are moderated in such a way by the tacitness of the knowledge transferred that experience is a stronger predictor when the knowledge is more explicit and technological capability is a stronger predictor when the knowledge is more tacit. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on the application of external knowledge.

Success breeds success: The linkage between relationship intensity and tangible outcomes in industry–university collaborative ventures

Abstract While advancing new technologies has not traditionally been a major focus of industry–university collaboration, this article stresses that industry–university alliances can be instrumental in facilitating the industrial firms advancement of both knowledge and new technologies. To investigate this phenomenon, this study focuses on industry–university relationships within the context of university research centers. The results from this multi-method, cross-sectional study indicate that a positive, two-way linkage exists between the intensity of industry–university relationships and the level of tangible outcomes generated. Results also show that while organization size and length of relationship do not significantly affect these dynamics, the industrial firms geographic proximity to the university research center does. The implications of these findings for both industrial firms and universities are discussed.

The institutionalization of knowledge transfer activities within industry–university collaborative ventures

The institutionalization of knowledge transfer activities between industrial firms and university research centers is considered as well as the factors that affect the ability of firms to acquire external knowledge to create competitive advantage. The data is based on survey results from 189 industrial firms that were collaborating with 21 university research centers in the US. Scales were developed to represent the institutionalization of knowledge transfer, organization structure, firm culture, trust, organization size, and geographic proximity. The results show that firms with more mechanistic structures, stable direction-oriented cultures, and those more trusting of their university partners were more likely to institutionalize knowledge transfer activities. Flexible, change-oriented culture does not negatively affect the transfer dynamic. The results suggest that knowledge transfer must be seen as a multi-staged process similar to organizational innovation and that trust facilitates the institutionalization of knowledge transfer activities. Geographic proximity, rather than business size, is advantageous for knowledge transfer.(TNM)

Facilitators of Knowledge Transfer in University-Industry Collaborations: A Knowledge-Based Perspective

Using the knowledge-based view of the firm as our theoretical underpinning, we study partnerships between industrial firms and university research centers (URCs) in order to identify facilitators of knowledge transfer, particularly focusing on how firms learn from URCs. Data for this study were obtained from senior-level executives from a random sample of one hundred and seventy-three firms located in the northeastern US. Results indicate that social connectedness, trust, URC technology transfer-intellectual property policies, technological relatedness and technological capability are significant facilitators of knowledge transfer. We also found that the type of knowledge transferred, i.e., explicit versus tacit, moderated these relationships. We conclude with implications for future research and R&D policy

Relationship Dynamics between University Research Centers and Industrial Firms: Their Impact on Technology Transfer Activities

In this study we focus on relationship-oriented factors such as trust, geographic proximity, communication, and university policies for intellectual property rights (IPR), patents and licenses and examine how these factors influence the technology transfer process between university research centers and their industrial partners. Data for this study were collected from 189 industrial firms working with 21 research centers affiliated with prominent research-oriented universities in the US. Our results showed that trust, geographic proximity, and flexible university policies for IPR, patents, and licenses were strongly associated with greater technology transfer activities. The implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Corporate strategic objectives for establishing relationships with university research centers

Organizations face increased pressures to continually advance knowledge and new technologies long-term success and prosperity. University research centers offer important interorganizational linkages for industry-university collaboration, conducive for advancing knowledge and new technologies. This study examined industrys strategic objectives for establishing relationships with university research centers. As a result of this multimethod exploratory field study, the authors have identified three clusters of industrial firms with different strategic objectives: collegial players, aggressive players, and targeted players. Collegial players are predominately large firms working with university research centers on topics of interest to the firm which are perceived to have long-term value rather than the promise of immediate commercial opportunities. Aggressive players are a mix of both large and small firms employing relationships with university research center primarily to develop and commercialize a wide range of marketable products and services. Targeted players are often smaller firms largely interested in using their relationships with university research centers to address specific needs central to their business. They conclude this paper by discussing the implications of these findings for both industrial firms and universities.

The firm's trust in its university partner as a key mediator in advancing knowledge and new technologies

Although industry-university relationships (I/URs) are of growing importance for creating knowledge and new technologies, I/URs remain relatively understudied. We build a theoretical framework that examines communication frequency, a facet of communication effectiveness, the personalness of the communication form (i.e., face-to-face, telephone, e-mail, and written), the firms trust in its university partner, and the I/URs knowledge and new technology outcomes. Our theoretical framework is tested using primarily survey questionnaire data collected from senior managers in 189 industrial firms across 21 university research centers. While previous research demonstrates the important connection between the way partners communicate and various collaborative venture outcomes, our results suggest that trust is an important mediator between communication and knowledge and technological outcomes in I/URs. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for both research and practice.

Building Industry–University Research Centers: Some Strategic Considerations

This paper reviews the importance of industry–university relationships and the strategic considerations within the context of these partnerships in university research centers. We have identified several factors that are particularly important to industry in building relationships with university centers. These include: acquiring skills, knowledge and gaining access to university facilities; organizational cultures that are more organic; flexible university policies for intellectual property rights, patents and licenses; and the presence of champions. Firms also have explicit collaborative strategies for partnering with universities where firms can be segmented into three distinct clusters: Collegial Players, Aggressive Players and Targeted Players. Collegial Players are often large firms working with universities and university-sponsored consortia on topics of interest that have long-term value rather than promise immediate commercial opportunities. Aggressive Players are both large and small firms who employ university relationships specifically to develop and commercialize a wide range of marketable products and services. Targeted Players are often smaller firms, largely interested in using university relationships to address specific issues central to their business. We conclude by discussing key implications for both industry and universities.

Making Industry-University Partnerships Work

OVERVIEW: University research centers have proven to be beneficial partners for industrial firms seeking new ideas and new technologies. The centers, especially those with flexible and creative policies for intellectual property rights, patent ownership and licensing, are attracting large numbers of industrial partners. While many firms initially seek out centers with the most lucrative policies, others are beginning to take an active role in shaping center policies that can meet their specific needs. An empowered I/U champion at the firm can be especially effective in facilitating this process, particularly when he or she focuses on each organizations unique contributions and the possibilities they afford for complementary synergies.