ABSTRACT
This chapter considers several questions as they apply to the microelectronics industry and to research universities. It argues that technology transfer, especially in the microelectronics industry, is at the heart of the information society. The chapter also considers several main questions: Is the research university the key institution in the information society? How does the most effective university-industry technology transfer occur? What is the role of federal, state, and local initiatives in promoting hightechnology industry? “University-industry” linkages are patterns of communication and exchange over time between people employed in industry and people employed in universities. In a number of countries, private companies usually do commercialization, and universities mainly conduct basic research, so a university-to-industry transfer of technology is often involved in the technology transfer process. A technology transfer mechanism such as a university-industry liaison office, a business incubator, or a cooperative research laboratory, is typically formalized.
