Capturing Knowledge: Private Gains and Public Gains from University Research Partnerships

In this monograph I ask: Does university involvement in the research of private firms enhance the firm's private gains as well as society's public gains? To address this question I analyzed, in an exploratory manner, data relevant to firm-based research projects funded by the U.S. Small Business Innovation (SBIR) program. The data suggest that when a university is involved in a Phase II SBIR project it does realize private gains in the form of greater patenting activity and greater employment growth. However, university involvement is not related to such public gains descriptors as the likelihood that the technology from the SBIR project will be commercialized, the likelihood that the developed technology will be licensed to other U.S. entities, or the likelihood that the firm will enter into a research and development agreement with other U.S. entities. I conclude from my study that firms that receive SBIR research awards are very strategic about involving a university as a research partner. Perhaps such firms only involve universities in activities through which they can appropriate most, if not all, of the related benefits.