Analysis of the Factors Influencing Patent Creation and Patent-Based Technology Transfer in Universities

It is indispensable for promoting open innovation that technology transfer from universities to private enterprises is performed successfully, and such awareness has been growing in recent years. However, it cannot be said that technology transfer has been actively implemented and has achieved the expected outcomes. It is generally difficult for universities and private enterprises to cooperate with each other. Many studies have pointed out the problems with technology transfer, but further studies are needed. We focused on patent creation and patent-based technology transfer, because universities have already created a lot of patents but have not yet conducted enough patent-based technology transfer corresponding to created patents. This study aims to reveal the factors influencing patent creation, meaning patent applications and patent rights, and patent-based technology transfer, meaning licensing and licensing income for universities. Based on the case of Japanese universities, data on patent creation, patent-based technology transfer, and influencing factors in universities were collected and analyzed. As a result, models explaining patent creation and patent-based technology transfer using influencing factors were derived. In addition, the differences between the models were grasped. Based on the results, improvements in the influencing factors of universities for promoting technology transfer are expected.