Article,
Biotechnology Entrepreneurs and Technology Transfer in an Intermediate Economy
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 66 (1): 59--74 (January 2001)
DOI: 10.1016/S0040-1625(99)00066-9
Abstract
When a substantial part of the knowledge required for the development of a new field is generated at the university, new entrepreneurial firms can be a privileged vehicle for the transfer of research results to the market. This is particularly true in the case of “intermediate economies,” where these firms can bridge the gap between public research and an indifferent industry. Empirical research on the process of biotechnology firm creation in Portugal, confirmed that most biotechnology entrepreneurs are involved in the transfer/transformation of technological knowledge generated in public research organizations, playing a critical technological intermediary role. More specifically, the research identified three major knowledge transfer modes and revealed the role played in this process by a particular type of entrepreneur: highly qualified young people, who were found to be especially effective in achieving a match between scientific and technological knowledge and market needs by capitalizing on their technological competencies and “relational assets.” But the research also highlighted the low incidence of firm creation in this field and the context-related difficulties experienced by their founders. This article addresses some of the obstacles and the entrepreneurs' adaptive responses to them, providing useful information for policy makers and would-be entrepreneurs.
