Some universities and departments have been very successful in stimulating university spin-off firms (USOs). This has persuaded policy makers and university administrators to devote considerable resources to improve universities' capabilities to promote USOs, but with little tangible results....

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to resolve a tension in understanding how universities contribute to knowledge-based urban development (KBUD). Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a conceptual paper, which analyses the tension as emerging between the university and the wider...