Factors affecting researcher participation in technology commercialisation: A South African university case study

Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Factors affecting researcher participation in technology commercialisation: A South African university case study
 
Creator Cullen, Margaret D.M. Calitz, Andre P. Chetty, Mary-Ann
 
Subject Academic commercialisation; academic Intellectual Property technology transfer; commercialisation; university; researcher involvement; incentives.
Description Background: Research universities in South Africa are well-recognised sources of new knowledge and their contributions to innovation are manifested through the creation, transfer and commercialisation of new technologies originating from academic research. Research collaboration between universities, industry and the community offer various benefits, which include funding for students and researchers and third-stream income for universities. Additionally, industry can gain access to new technologies to incorporate in improved products and services.Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the factors that encourage academic researchers’ involvement in technology commercialisation.Setting: The growth in university technology transfer in South Africa can be attributed to the South African Intellectual Property Rights from the Publicly Financed Research and Development Act (Act 51 of 2008). The establishment of Technology Transfer Offices at universities across South Africa, aims to involve researchers in commercialisation activities, champion the innovation conversation within universities and to progress innovations from concept to application in society.Methods: The study followed a positivistic research philosophy and a deductive approach. Researchers (n=38) in two faculties at the Nelson Mandela University participated in this exploratory study and completed an online survey. The respondents were selected through purposeful sampling.  Results: The findings indicate that a combination of incentives is necessary to enable and to encourage researcher involvement in the commercialisation of research. A set of recommendations based on the findings and implementation suggestions are proposed.Conclusion: A combination of monetary and non-monetary incentives are required to enable academics’ involvement in commercialisation activities.
 
Publisher AOSIS Publishing
 
Contributor None
Date 2020-12-14
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Survey
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajesbm.v12i1.329
 
Source The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management; Vol 12, No 1 (2020); 12 pages 2071-3185 2522-7343
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/329/476 https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/329/475 https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/329/477 https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/329/474
 
Coverage South Africa — Research involvement
Rights Copyright (c) 2020 Margaret D.M. Cullen, Andre P. Calitz, Mary-Ann Chetty https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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