Title: Universities as patent- and licensing income-generating institutions: a survey in Taiwan

Authors: Yuan-Chieh Chang, Ming-Huei Chen, Phil Y. Yang, Mingshu Hua

Addresses: Institute of Technology Management, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec. 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan 300, ROC. ' Graduate Institute of Technology and Innovation Management, National Chung-Hsing University, 250 Kuo Kuang Road, Taichung, Taiwan 402, ROC. ' International Business Department, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 11, Kuozi Alley, Taichung, Taiwan 406, ROC. ' Institute of International Business Studies, National Chi Nan University, 1, University Road, Puli, Nantou, Taiwan 545, ROC

Abstract: This study examines the preliminary results of patenting and licensing activities in Taiwanese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from 1997 to 2001. We propose a framework to analyse the influence of a university|s internal Intellectual Property Right (IPR) management and external research partnerships on creating income through patenting and licensing. Through a postal questionnaire survey, all 122 HEIs in Taiwan were surveyed. The empirical results demonstrate that internalised IPR management capability and external research partnerships have substantially increased the amount of academic patents and licensing income. The paper reveals that the relation between external research partnership and patterns of academic licensing is moderated by industry research funding, towards more domestic and partner-oriented licensing. This has crucial policy implications for enhancing effective national triple-helix interactions.

Keywords: technology transfer; university-industry cooperation; industrial collaboration; Science and Technology Basic Law; patenting; licensing; income generation; patents; universities: Taiwan; higher education; intellectual property rights; IPR management; research partnerships; triple-helix interactions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2008.018108

International Journal of Technology Management, 2008 Vol.42 No.3, pp.290 - 309

Published online: 01 May 2008 *

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