UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS: IMPACTS ON LOCAL AND U.S. ECONOMIES

In the past two decades, many universities have established Offices of Technology Transfer to increase the transfer rate of certain research innovations to the private sector. More recently, some of these offices have come under pressure to increase their performance and thereby stimulate local economies. This paper discusses various technology transfer methods and presents results of a survey of university Offices of Technology Transfer. Comparisons of these offices take into account size, focus, and differences in public and private universities' goals. The paper concludes by discussing potential pitfalls of technology transfer and of privatizing university research. Copyright 1993 Western Economic Association International.