Public research and the innovation performance of new technology based firms

Assessing the role of publicly funded scientifc research in entrepreneurial ecosystems is of great interest for science and entrepreneurship policy. Knowledge from academic research fows into the private sector through publications, patents, and researcher mobility as well as through direct interactions between founders and researchers at public research institutions (PRIs). New technology-based frms (NTBFs) are generally praised for high innovativeness despite their resource constraints and liability of newness. This study therefore investigates the impact of direct interactions with PRIs on NTBFs’ innovation success. In a large sample of NTBFs in Germany, we fnd that those frms engaging in such knowledge interactions are more likely to introduce new products and services to the market. The strength of this association, however, depends on interaction persistency, internal R&D and the founders’ academic backgrounds. Non-academic start-ups beneft more from continuous informal interactions if they pursue own R&D, which suggests that absorptive capacity matters. In academic start-ups, higher intensities of both formal and informal interactions are associated with greater innovation likelihood. Moreover, continuous informal interactions complement formal ones in the absence of own R&D activity.

Fudickar, Roman und Hanna Hottenrott (2019), Public research and the innovation performance of new technology based firms, Journal of Technology Transfer 44(2) , 326-358