A Journal of University-Industry-Government Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Table 3 Integrated dimensions for understanding organizational characteristics of university technology transfer organizations
Dimensions | Descriptions | |
|---|---|---|
Variations | Explanations | |
1. Degree of discipline specialization | Discipline integrated | Many disciplinary fields. |
Discipline specialized | Certain disciplinary areas. | |
2. Degree of task specialization | Fully integrated | It refers to university-industry technology transfer at various stages and aspects: new product development, technology consultation, IP management on the university level, and services supporting entrepreneurial activities. |
Backward integrated | It engaged in original product development with funding and IP management but barely supporting real entrepreneurship activities. | |
Forward integrated | It focuses on supporting creating new firms and the other entrepreneurship practices, together with IP management. | |
3. Level of autonomy and centralities | Dependent | Have limited autonomy in decision-making in rules and budget allocation; obtain funding and staffed from the host university. |
Semi-independent | Legally independent, while its board members assigned by the university as crucial representatives. Obtain donations from the host university, while its further development dependent on its profitability. The university bears a limited economic liability for its operation. | |
Independent | Legally independent with extensive rights in decision-making in all respects with reporting to upper level. The university only sponsors for its creation, but not supporting or risking for its further operation. | |
4. Degree of exclusivity | Exclusive | Service for the affiliated university only. |
Non-exclusive | Service for many universities. | |
5. Professionalization | High level | The staffs have a university degree or higher in engineering or science; work experience in project management, IP management, or business management; or vocational certification in economics, judicial, patent agent, and consultant agent. |
Low level | It is mainly staffed with researchers from the university as their part-time job. The rest ones are barely met the above requirements. | |
Non-professionalization | No specific professional qualifications required for staffs | |
6. Standardization | High standardized | Formulated regulations and procedures for university-industry technology transfer. |
Low standardized | No well-established regulations; the university-industry technology transfer occurs on case by case. | |