Academic entrepreneurship in UK biotechnology firms

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to attempt to provide an insight into the individual aspects of academic entrepreneurship, defining a series of entrepreneurial profiles and investigating the challenges associated with each specific role as well as their impact on firm's performance. Design/methodology/approach - The presented findings are based on the analysis of secondary and primary data. First, a series of articles and reports regarding academic entrepreneurship have been accessed in order to define the research framework. Second, primary data were collected through semi‐structured interviews conducted with 26 academic entrepreneurs working in UK biotech firms. Findings - The analysis of data revealed that academics choose mainly three forms of academic entrepreneurship: founder‐manager of an entrepreneurial firm; project manager in an existing firm; or scientific advisor to the board of directors of one or several firms. In each of these three situations, the personal responsibilities, the level of implication and the performance impact of the academic entrepreneur are different. Research implications/limitations - Findings demonstrate a direct relation between the specific responsibilities associated with the three types of academic entrepreneurship and the scientific/research performance of the investigated firms. Unfortunately, the small sample does not permit generalizations at industry or national level. Future studies should, on one hand, increase the field of investigation, in order to develop reliable measurements of academic entrepreneurship performance; and, on the other hand, collect additional qualitative information using a case study approach. Practical implications - The findings may provide useful information for academic entrepreneurs working in the biotech sector, regarding the specific challenges and positioning of each entrepreneurial role, allowing them to take better professional decisions. Originality/value - The study enriches the existing literature on academic entrepreneurship, expanding the definition and the profile of entrepreneurial roles to include also intrapreneurship activities in medium‐size or larger organizations.