Industry‐University Technology Transfer In Microelectronics

Federal, state and local governments have encouraged university‐industry cooperation in recent years through a number of different policies and programs. Industry has increasingly been looking to universities for new ideas, closer collaboration and more timely access to research results. Various levels of government have become increasingly involved in joint funding with industry in new university‐industry research centers and institutes. State and local governments spend considerable effort to attract high‐technology industry, using university‐industry collaborative programs as one incentive. Yet despite the theoretical and policy importance of this topic, it has received little systematic research attention. This contribution reports the results of a National Science Foundation‐funded study investigating technology transfer in microelectronics between Arizona State University located in the Phoenix metropolitan area and surrounding microelectronics firms. The results describe state and local initiatives influencing such technology transfer, how the initial technology transfer contact comes about, how research goals, topics and activities are decided upon, and how resources and funding support is secured. In addition satisfaction from, benefits and costs of, as well as attitudes bout technology transfer are reported.