Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/50325 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2009
Series/Report no.: 
KOF Working Papers No. 222
Publisher: 
ETH Zurich, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, Zurich
Abstract: 
This paper investigates the technological orientation of firms and universities and their propensity to have knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) activities. This study looks at the technological potential for KTT and how it is used, emphasizing differences between smaller and larger firms. To this end we collected information about the technology activities of firms (patent statistics) and the technology activities of universities. Furthermore we used survey data on technology transfer activities. We combined the three datasets and found - especially for smaller firms - that great technology proximity fosters transfer activities with different universities (case 1). The same is true, if proximity is low and expertise is considerable at universities in the respective technology field (case 2). In both cases additional transfer potential exists. In the second case firms engage in transfer activities in order to update and modifying their knowledge base and as a consequence improve competitiveness in certain technology fields. Furthermore firms show a tendency to diversify their contacts with universities in order to avoid knowledge lock-in.
Subjects: 
Innovation
Knowledge and Technology Transfer
Technology Proximity
Universities
Firms
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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