ABSTRACT
The aims and objectives of the research, as outlined in Chapter 1, were:
To assess the extent to which critical factors identified from the literature as influencing the formation, organisation and operation of university-based companies were relevant to current practice;
To test the hypothesis that university-linked start-up firms share many of the characteristics of new technology-based firms (NTBFs) but that there are also some unique differences;
To compare the characteristics of university spin-outs with non-university technology-based companies.
