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The economic benefits of technology transfer from U.S. federal laboratories

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  • Albert N. Link

    (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)

  • John T. Scott

    (Dartmouth College)

Abstract

In this paper we review the legislative emphasis on technology transfers from U.S. federal laboratories, and we present a framework to describe how private sector firms benefit from the adoption of technologies from federal laboratories. We conclude that if a federal laboratory can provide the technology being transferred more efficiently than the private sector can develop it, there is a social gain from the federal laboratory doing so. The social gain will be realized in part by increased profits for the private firms using the technology and in part by consumers who have higher reservation prices for higher quality products and services and who pay lower prices because firms’ costs are lower.

Suggested Citation

  • Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2019. "The economic benefits of technology transfer from U.S. federal laboratories," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(5), pages 1416-1426, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:44:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s10961-019-09734-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10961-019-09734-z
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    1. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2013. "Governments as entrepreneur: Evaluating the commercialization success of SBIR projects," Chapters, in: Public Support of Innovation in Entrepreneurial Firms, chapter 2, pages 25-38, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Link, Albert N. & Scott, John T., 2001. "Public/private partnerships: stimulating competition in a dynamic market," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 763-794, April.
    3. Link, Albert N. & Scott, John T., 2011. "Public Goods, Public Gains: Calculating the Social Benefits of Public R&D," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199729685.
    4. Edwin Mansfield & John Rapoport & Anthony Romeo & Samuel Wagner & George Beardsley, 1977. "Social and Private Rates of Return from Industrial Innovations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 91(2), pages 221-240.
    5. Albert N. Link & Nicholas S. Vonortas (ed.), 2013. "Handbook on the Theory and Practice of Program Evaluation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14384.
    6. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2013. "The theory and practice of public-sector R&D economic impact analysis," Chapters, in: Albert N. Link & Nicholas S. Vonortas (ed.), Handbook on the Theory and Practice of Program Evaluation, chapter 2, pages 15-55, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Dennis Patrick Leyden & Matthias Menter, 2018. "The legacy and promise of Vannevar Bush: rethinking the model of innovation and the role of public policy," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 225-242, April.
    8. Leyden, Dennis Patrick & Link, Albert N., 2015. "Public Sector Entrepreneurship: U.S. Technology and Innovation Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199313853.
    9. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2005. "Evaluating Public Sector R&D Programs: The Advanced Technology Program's Investment in Wavelength References for Optical Fiber Communications," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 30(2_2), pages 241-251, January.
    10. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2005. "Evaluating Public Sector R&D Programs: The Advanced Technology Program’s Investment in Wavelength References for Optical Fiber," Springer Books, in: Albert N. Link & F. M. Scherer (ed.), Essays in Honor of Edwin Mansfield, pages 87-97, Springer.
    11. Zvi Griliches, 1958. "Research Costs and Social Returns: Hybrid Corn and Related Innovations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(5), pages 419-419.
    12. Link, Albert N. & van Hasselt, Martijn, 2019. "A public sector knowledge production function," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 64-66.
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    Cited by:

    1. Link, Albert N. & van Hasselt, Martijn, 2019. "On the transfer of technology from universities: The impact of the Bayh–Dole Act of 1980 on the institutionalization of university research," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 472-481.
    2. Mulligan, Kevin & Lenihan, Helena & Doran, Justin & Roper, Stephen, 2022. "Harnessing the science base: Results from a national programme using publicly-funded research centres to reshape firms’ R&D," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(4).
    3. David Urbano & Andreu Turro & Sebastian Aparicio, 2020. "Innovation through R&D activities in the European context: antecedents and consequences," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 1481-1504, October.
    4. David B. Audretsch & Maksim Belitski & Rosa Caiazza & Erik E. Lehmann, 2020. "Knowledge management and entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 373-385, June.
    5. Nebojša Stojčić, 2021. "Collaborative innovation in emerging innovation systems: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 531-562, April.
    6. Alex Coad & Agustí Segarra-Blasco & Mercedes Teruel, 2021. "A bit of basic, a bit of applied? R&D strategies and firm performance," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1758-1783, December.
    7. David P. Leech & John T. Scott, 2023. "Copyrights for the technology transfer of government software," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 2161-2178, December.
    8. Stojčić, Nebojša & Srhoj, Stjepan & Coad, Alex, 2020. "Innovation procurement as capability-building: Evaluating innovation policies in eight Central and Eastern European countries," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    9. Jin-Kyung Kim & Keun-Tae Cho, 2022. "Effects of Technology Commercialization Proactiveness on Commercialization Success: The Case of ETRI in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-23, June.
    10. Robert S. Danziger & John T. Scott, 2021. "Government royalties on sales of biomedical products developed with substantial public funding," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1321-1343, October.
    11. David P. Leech & John T. Scott, 2022. "Foreign patents for the technology transfer from laboratories of U.S. federal agencies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 937-978, August.
    12. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano, 2020. "Institutional conditions and social innovations in emerging economies: insights from Mexican enterprises’ initiatives for protecting/preventing the effect of violent events," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 929-957, August.
    13. Link, Al, 2019. "Technology Transfer at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)," UNCG Economics Working Papers 19-8, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
    14. Min, Jae-Woong & Kim, YoungJun & Vonortas, Nicholas S., 2020. "Public technology transfer, commercialization and business growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    15. Sandeep Singhai & Ritika Singh & Harish Kumar Sardana & Anuradha Madhukar, 2021. "Analysis of Factors Influencing Technology Transfer: A Structural Equation Modeling Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-15, May.
    16. Colombelli, Alessandra & Belitski, Maksim & D’Amico, Elettra, 2023. "Artificial Intelligence and Firm Innovation: The Resource-Allocation Perspective," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 202304, University of Turin.
    17. Choi, Haneul & Yoon, Hyunjung & Siegel, Donald & Waldman, David A. & Mitchell, Marie S., 2022. "Assessing differences between university and federal laboratory postdoctoral scientists in technology transfer," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(3).
    18. Troy J. Scott & Nicholas S. Vonortas, 2021. "Microgravity protein crystallization for drug development: a bold example of public sector entrepreneurship," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1442-1461, October.
    19. Audretsch, David B. & Belitski, Maksim, 2020. "The role of R&D and knowledge spillovers in innovation and productivity," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    20. Colombelli, Alessandra & Belitski, Maksim & D’Amico, Elettra, 2023. "Artificial Intelligence and Firm Innovation: The Resource-Allocation Perspective," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202316, University of Turin.
    21. Shuman Zhang & Changhong Yuan & Chen Han, 2020. "Industry–university–research alliance portfolio size and firm performance: the contingent role of political connections," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 1505-1534, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technology transfer; Federal laboratories; R&D;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General

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