KTO Commercialisation Strategies and their performance

An initial attempt to KT Metrics harmonisation—Researchers from the University of Cambridge, Radboud University, and the University of Bristol have launched a new research project to study the different emerging roles of KTOs/TTOs in Europe and their impact on KT performance.

The European knowledge transfer landscape is experiencing a major transformation in the ways KTOs bring emerging technologies to markets. Traditionally, KTOs transferred the labour of discovering a market for an emerging technology and product/service development to industrial partners via transfer of technological know-how. However, growing governmental pressure to demonstrate the economic and, especially, societal impact of university research has led to an emergence of a wide range of entrepreneurial KTO activities that are more impact-oriented than in the past.

The implications of these new approaches on KTO performance are still unclear. Moreover, existing measurement instruments used in the European knowledge transfer context to measure KT do not fully capture the whole spectrum of diverse and emerging KT approaches and their performance.

A set of measures for KTO’s commercialisation strategies and performance that can capture the activities and performance of KTOs of all sizes and shapes are developed based on a study endorsed by ASTP that involved nearly 90 interviews with knowledge transfer professionals across Europe. The research, thus, also contributes to the ongoing efforts that aim at harmonising KT metrics.

The research team (comprising Rahul Prasad, Prof. Dr. Bas Hillebrand, Dr. Paul H. Driessen, Prof. Dr. Jaideep C. Prabhu, and Dr. Sven Molner) is now inviting knowledge transfer professionals across Europe to participate in the research by responding to a survey that takes less than 9 minutes to complete.

The survey is designed in a manner that it will help KT professionals to reflect on their commercialization and knowledge transfer approach and performance as they fill in the survey. All collected information will be stored and treated confidentially.

A management summary of the key findings will be disseminated to the participating KTOs. The researchers also offer to present their findings in exclusive workshops for the participating KTOs.

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the principal researcher, Rahul Prasad (rahul.prasad@ru.nl).

Take the survey here.