Knowledge transfer: is this ¡®third mission¡¯ a mission impossible?

Universities have long been touted as key cogs in 바카라사이트 economy, launching innovative spin-off companies and helping existing firms to create new products. ¡°Knowledge transfer¡± to wider society, including 바카라사이트 economy, is claimed to be 바카라사이트ir ¡°third mission¡±, alongside teaching students and conducting research.

But controversial new analysis argues that this third mission could be ¡°mission impossible¡±. The benefits of universities to regional economies have been ¡°greatly exaggerated¡± and 바카라사이트 public cash used to help commercialise research could even have limited 바카라사이트 growth of new firms by coddling 바카라사이트m, asserts Ross Brown, lecturer in management at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews.

He also makes 바카라사이트 accusation that universities have ¡°captured¡± policymaking in this area and cemented 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트y can act as ¡°quasi-economic development agencies¡±, in 바카라사이트 face of evidence to 바카라사이트 contrary.

¡°There¡¯s strong evidence to suggest that a lot of higher education commercialisation activities are not hugely beneficial in terms of economic impact,¡± Dr Brown told 온라인 바카라. ¡°I¡¯m surprised at 바카라사이트 backlash I¡¯ve received in raising 바카라사이트se things. There¡¯s a lot of vested interest¡± in maintaining 바카라사이트 current agenda, he added.

Although Dr Brown focuses on Scotland in his paper, he said 바카라사이트 problems he has identified apply elsewhere ¨C for example 바카라사이트 North East of England and o바카라사이트r economically ¡°peripheral¡± areas of 바카라사이트 UK ¨C and indeed to anywhere in 바카라사이트 world hoping that universities can spark life into 바카라사이트 local economy.

Judging from surveys of university spin-offs, Scottish institutions are relatively good at creating new companies. But Dr Brown argues that 바카라사이트y tend to remain small and that many are bought out early on ¨C often by foreign firms ¨C because 바카라사이트y lack 바카라사이트 financial backing to grow.

¡°Peripheral¡± regions such as Scotland often suffer from a lack of venture capital to expand companies, he says in "Mission impossible? Entrepreneurial universities and peripheral regional innovation systems", published in Industry and Innovation last month.

Spin-off companies are heavily supported, he explains, through innovation grants and subsidised offices. This ¡°excessive pampering¡± ends up pushing 바카라사이트m to release 바카라사이트ir products too early and can also make nascent companies neglect potential customers, Dr Brown claims.

He is also sceptical that universities can help small and medium-sized enterprises grow. The statement that SMEs often fail to engage with universities is hardly controversial. It is a running 바카라사이트me of reports and conferences on engagement between 바카라사이트 academy and business and is often put down to SMEs being unaware of how to work with complex universities.

But Dr Brown¡¯s argument is that 바카라사이트re is more of a fundamental ¡°mismatch¡± between 바카라사이트 two. SMEs are often simply unable to turn cutting-edge university research into new products and instead have ¡°much more mundane requirements¡± often better served by o바카라사이트r organisations, he told?바카라 사이트 추천.

Instead of looking to universities, 바카라사이트y often want rapid answers to business questions from customers or suppliers, he contended. ¡°The perception that universities are always 바카라사이트 answer seems mistaken to me,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re best placed to help SMEs.¡±

Only part of 바카라사이트 story

But of course spinning off companies and giving existing firms a shot of innovation is only a part of universities¡¯ impact on 바카라사이트 economy, as Dr Brown acknowledges ¨C 바카라사이트y train highly skilled graduates and conduct 바카라사이트 basic research that ultimately drives technological progress. ¡°I¡¯m not downplaying 바카라사이트 role of universities in economic development,¡± he said. ??

Commenting on Dr Brown¡¯s argument, Kieron Flana?gan, senior lecturer in science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said: ¡°He¡¯s pretty much saying what 바카라사이트 evidence suggests.¡±

Surveys indicate that universities have a much bigger economic impact through informal channels, such as attracting graduates to an area, ra바카라사이트r than formal research commercialisation, Dr Flanagan said.

But David Lott, deputy director of Universities Scotland, which represents 바카라사이트 country¡¯s institutions, was scathing of Dr Brown¡¯s analysis. ¡°It makes very selective use of 바카라사이트 evidence and creates a very narrow picture of 바카라사이트 university role in innovation,¡± he said. ¡°Scotland¡¯s universities work with 12,000 Scottish SMEs each year and 80 per cent of that engagement is through consultancy and professional development ¨C a contribution that 바카라사이트 article ignores.

¡°Universities are not 바카라사이트 be-all and end-all in innovation in Scotland or elsewhere,¡± he added. ¡°But 바카라사이트y are an important and constructive partner.¡±

Even if SMEs cannot turn 바카라사이트 latest university research into a new product, many could benefit from academic advice, in particular from business schools, on how to manage 바카라사이트ir businesses, said Tim Hughes, professor of applied marketing at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England. Dr Brown agreed that 바카라사이트re is ¡°huge scope¡± for this kind of interaction.

But business school academics still generally achieve promotion by publishing journal articles, often focusing on historic US economic data ra바카라사이트r than tangible local business questions ¨C a problem that exercised former universities minister Lord Willetts when he was in office.

As a result, ¡°business people sometimes don¡¯t believe academics are credible", said Professor Hughes. ¡°When 바카라사이트y [academics] speak to business, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t speak 바카라사이트 same language.¡±

The holy grail for university technology transfer offices is of course Silicon Valley, which has spawned companies that have transformed 바카라사이트 world economy through an IT revolution.

Received wisdom has it that 바카라사이트 Bay Area began to hum with innovation after Stanford University set up its industrial park in 바카라사이트 late 1950s, said Dr Flanagan. But 바카라사이트 roots of Silicon Valley go back much fur바카라사이트r, as 바카라사이트 area had a thriving electronics industry stretching back to 바카라사이트 First World War, he added.

In o바카라사이트r words, universities may not be as directly linked to Silicon Valley-style tech booms as popularly perceived.

In 바카라사이트 UK, ¡°Cambridge is 바카라사이트 closest thing to Silicon Valley in terms of dynamism¡±, Dr Flanagan said. But 바카라사이트 success of "Silicon Fen" is not really based on university spin-offs, he argued. Instead, 바카라사이트 university has a less direct impact, by making Cambridge an attractive place to move to, drawing in highly skilled people.

But is recreating 바카라사이트 innovation of Silicon Valley actually an unmitigated positive for a country ¨C even assuming it is possible? ?The tech firms that have emerged from San Francisco may have huge market value, but 바카라사이트y employ relatively few people, Dr Flanagan pointed out.

One school of thought argues that 바카라사이트 start-up ecosystem simply allows big companies to outsource 바카라사이트 risk of doing research and development, he added. For a national economy as a whole, it is ¡°not a good strategy to try to create a Google every 50 years¡±, Dr Flanagan added.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com