Title: Commercialisation of university-based biotechnology research and internal performance issues for spin-offs

Authors: Lisa M. Rutherford, Liz Fulop

Addresses: Australian Institute for Commercialisation, BTP Technology and Conference Centre, Brisbane Technology Park, 1 Clunies Ross Court, Eight Mile Plains, QLD, 4113, Australia ' Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, PMB 50, GCMC, Queensland 9726, Australia

Abstract: This paper examines new start-up companies created as a result of university-based biotechnology research in Australia, specifically in the technology corridor of Southern Queensland. Qualitative research, drawing on five case studies, was used to explore key issues identified in the literature on R&D commercialisation and university-to-industry technology transfers. Three main areas impacting on university start-ups are: (i) university-related issues which cover university-industry relationships and Intellectual Property (IP) acquisition; (ii) internal performance related issues, such as organisation structure, goals and motivations, and management and technical resources; and (iii) external/environmental related issues, such as the role of government, state of the economy, changing markets, competition, and access to funding and resources. The area of internal performance is lacking in research and struggling to be understood in the Australian biotech-context. The paper explores this area, identifying major issues and problems, and how they are being addressed within each start-up.

Keywords: biotechnology research; Australia; university spin-offs; research commercialisation; internal performance; technology transfer; R&D; research and development; university-industry relationships; intellectual property; resource-based view; biomedical research.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2006.008656

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2006 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.123 - 139

Published online: 13 Jan 2006 *

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