In university technology transfer one size does not fit them all

Over the last four decades, university research outputs have become increasingly important for leading edge technological developments and economic growth in a number of nations and, in particular, the U.S. Advances in science and engineering research and research techniques have become increasingly important for technological innovation (Hicks et al., 2001; Narin et al., 1997; Rosenberg and Nelson, 1994). In some fields, such as pharmaceuticals and information and communication technologies (ICT), university research has formed the basis of new firms and, in certain cases, new industries. ¹ Universities, because of their role in training students and conducting scientific research, have received significant attention from policy-makers.