Title: A glance at research-driven university's technology transfer office in the UAE

Authors: Farkhund Iqbal; Patrick C.K. Hung; Fazli Wahid; Suaad Mohammed Qayed Ahmed Mohammed

Addresses: College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, UAE ' Faculty of Business and Information Technology, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 7K4, Canada ' Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah Women's College, University City, Sharjah, UAE ' College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abstract: Technology transfer offices (TTOs) in research-driven universities serve as an intermediary between suppliers of innovations and those who can potentially commercialise them. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), TTOs are expected to take an important role in the evolution of successful spin-off companies from innovation to production to sales to sustainable profit. TTOs aim to help businesses to innovate and prosper leading to improving local and national economic prosperity. TTOs often support spin-off companies becoming a learning organisation and easing into an articulated management of activities complementary to the research and development activities that create the innovation and drive the transition from innovation to product lines. This paper aims to investigate the current situation of research-driven university's TTO in UAE using a case study of Etisalat BT Innovation Center at Khalifa University and Masdar Institute for university policy implications. The findings suggest that TTOs assist university researchers in many ways.

Keywords: research-driven university entrepreneurship; technology transfer office; TTO; spin-off companies; business incubation; UAE.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2018.093939

International Journal of Technology Management, 2018 Vol.78 No.1/2, pp.70 - 87

Received: 20 Mar 2017
Accepted: 12 Feb 2018

Published online: 09 Aug 2018 *

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