The efficiency of Portuguese Technology Transfer Offices and the importance of university characteristics

Aurora Teixeira () and André Monteiro
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André Monteiro: Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto

No 93, GEE Papers from Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos, Ministério da Economia

Abstract: Studies on the efficiency of TTOs have mainly focused on well-developed countries (US and UK), whereas intermediate technology countries have been rather neglected. This study intends to complement existing empirical work on this matter by providing evidence on Portugal, an intermediate technology country, which has invested quite heavily in technological support infrastructures (including TTOs) in the last decade. Using the Data Envelopment Analysis approach to 18 Portuguese TTOs over the period 2007-2011, we found that TTOs had improved their efficiency especially in the more upstream stages of the technology transfer process (invention disclosures and priority filings). Additionally, based on econometric models, we found that universities characteristics do matter, with universities with a large number of accumulated patents and publications being associated to more efficient TTOs in terms of invention disclosures and priority filings. Moreover, the regional industrial basis, most notably the weight of the manufacturing industry and new high- and medium-tech firms in regions where the university is located, contributes significantly to the efficiency of TTOs, in both the more upstream (invention disclosure and priority filings) and downstream (start-ups) phases, reflecting the importance of strong business regional spillovers for TTOs efficiency.

Keywords: Technology Transfer Offices; Efficiency; Data Envelopment Analysis; Universities; Portugal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C14 O34 O39 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 24 pages
Date: 2018-02, Revised 2018-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-eff, nep-eur, nep-ino and nep-sbm
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