Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Management Practices: Evidence from Chinese Universities

Research-oriented universities are increasingly seen as vehicles for technology transfer and agents for local industrial dynamic. In a comparative framework, this paper explores how university policies and institutions shape the nature and fruitfulness of innovation diffusion in China. The primary goal is to understand different institutional mechanisms for promoting effective innovation diffusion and maximizing spillovers from academia. Firstly, we investigate what types of changes have been instituted by selected universities with regards to the management of invention disclosure and patent licensing procedures, policies for new business startups by faculty and graduates, and provision of seed capital, training and incubator facilities. Secondly, we study how university incentive structure has been reshaped to encourage and facilitate engagement with industry. Our analysis is accomplished through content analysis of university documents coupled with in-depth interviews with university personnel.