Do Business Incubators Function as a Transfer Technology Mechanism from University to Industry? Evidence from Portugal

ABSTRACT

This paper concerns an empirical study on the university-industry cooperation, with the motivation that incubators would function as a transfer technology mechanism. It describes the links relating to R&D, human resources and provision of services for a sample of 79 firms based in the 11 incubators and universities. The results confirm some factors that affect the strength of such links-size of firms, R&D activities and economic sector, and revealed two other factors-incubators’ statutory situation and firm origin. It also emerges that while the university stake in the incubators’ capital is quite small, and the involvement of firms in R&D activities is rare, there is a significant formal involvement with the society following a global trend towards “entrepreneurial university”. This suggests that the university contribution to the development of firms' activities is more related to providing information that complements their technological endeavours, and less to creating innovations, ready for market.