IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jtecht/v50y2025i4d10.1007_s10961-024-10141-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Department of the Navy SBIR Phase III awards and corresponding public sector commercialization success factors

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah M. Rovito

    (The George Washington University)

  • John Kamp

    (The George Washington University)

  • Amir Etemadi

    (The George Washington University
    The George Washington University)

Abstract

The United States Government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program has invested funds for research and development at domestic small businesses since its inception in 1982. Awards made through the third phase of the program specifically focus on the successful commercialization of a technology or product; are derived from, extend, or complete a prior SBIR effort; and are not funded through the SBIR program but rather through an awarding agency. While SBIR Phase III awards are rare, these awards provide a valuable commercialization pathway for firms to scale and deploy new technologies and products. This research explores public sector commercialization as evidenced by the receipt of a Department of the Navy SBIR Phase III award and discerns successful attributes of recipient firms. Publicly available data on SBIR awards made between 2008 and 2021 are collected from different sources and aggregated. Machine learning methods run on the selected sample are capable of predicting which SBIR Phase II awards will advance to a Department of the Navy SBIR Phase III award approximately 60% of the time, demonstrating that the receipt of such an award is not strongly predictive of commercialization success. Furthermore, new insights are revealed regarding attributes that can potentially position a firm that has received a SBIR Phase II award for public sector commercialization success through the SBIR program.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah M. Rovito & John Kamp & Amir Etemadi, 2025. "Exploring Department of the Navy SBIR Phase III awards and corresponding public sector commercialization success factors," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 50(4), pages 1363-1395, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:50:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10961-024-10141-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10961-024-10141-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10961-024-10141-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10961-024-10141-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sabrina T. Howell & Jason Rathje & John Van Reenen & Jun Wong, 2021. "Opening up military innovation: causal effects of reforms to U.S. defense research," POID Working Papers 004, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Josh Lerner, 1996. "The Government as Venture Capitalist: The Long-Run Effects of the SBIR Program," NBER Working Papers 5753, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Ufuk Akcigit & William R. Kerr, 2018. "Growth through Heterogeneous Innovations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(4), pages 1374-1443.
    4. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2013. "Private Investor Participation and Commercialization Rates for Government-sponsored Research and Development: Would a Prediction Market Improve the Performance of the SBIR Programme?," Chapters, in: Public Support of Innovation in Entrepreneurial Firms, chapter 11, pages 157-174, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Milan Miric & Nan Jia & Kenneth G. Huang, 2023. "Using supervised machine learning for large‐scale classification in management research: The case for identifying artificial intelligence patents," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 491-519, February.
    6. David B. Audretsch, 2003. "Innovation And Spatial Externalities," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 26(2), pages 167-174, April.
    7. Andrew Toole & Dirk Czarnitzki, 2007. "Biomedical Academic Entrepreneurship through the SBIR Program," NBER Chapters, in: Academic Science and Entrepreneurship: Dual Engines of Growth, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. David B. Audretsch (ed.), 2006. "Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Growth," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4130.
    9. Albert N. Link & Martijn van Hasselt, 2023. "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 21189.
    10. Sabrina T. Howell & Jason Rathje & John Van Reenen & Jun Wong, 2021. "Opening up military innovation: causal effects of 'bottom-up' reforms to U.S. defense research," CEP Discussion Papers dp1760, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    11. Albert N. Link & Christopher J. Ruhm, 2013. "Bringing science to market:commercializing from NIH SBIR awards," Chapters, in: Public Support of Innovation in Entrepreneurial Firms, chapter 1, pages 3-24, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Audretsch, David B. & Keilbach, Max C. & Lehmann, Erik E., 2006. "Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195183511.
    13. Sabrina T. Howell, 2017. "Financing Innovation: Evidence from R&D Grants," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(4), pages 1136-1164, April.
    14. Lauren Lanahan, 2016. "Multilevel public funding for small business innovation: a review of US state SBIR match programs," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 220-249, April.
    15. Martin S. Andersen & Jeremy W. Bray & Albert N. Link, 2017. "On the failure of scientific research: an analysis of SBIR projects funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(1), pages 431-442, July.
    16. Vidita Choudhry & Todd A. Ponzio, 2020. "Modernizing federal technology transfer metrics," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 544-559, April.
    17. John Haltiwanger & Ron S. Jarmin & Javier Miranda, 2013. "Who Creates Jobs? Small versus Large versus Young," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(2), pages 347-361, May.
    18. Zoltan Acs & David Audretsch, 1990. "Innovation and Small Firms," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262011131, December.
    19. Vivek Bhattacharya, 2021. "An Empirical Model of R&D Procurement Contests: An Analysis of the DOD SBIR Program," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(5), pages 2189-2224, September.
    20. Lauren Lanahan & Maryann P. Feldman, 2018. "Approximating Exogenous Variation in R&D: Evidence from the Kentucky and North Carolina SBIR State Match Programs," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(4), pages 740-752, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Haifeng Qian, 2018. "Knowledge-Based Regional Economic Development: A Synthetic Review of Knowledge Spillovers, Entrepreneurship, and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 32(2), pages 163-176, May.
    2. Lanahan, Lauren & Joshi, Amol M. & Johnson, Evan, 2021. "Do public R&D subsidies produce jobs? Evidence from the SBIR/STTR program," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(7).
    3. Fini, Riccardo & Perkmann, Markus & Kenney, Martin & Maki, Kanetaka M., 2023. "Are public subsidies effective for university spinoffs? Evidence from SBIR awards in the University of California system," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(1).
    4. Kleine, Marco & Heite, Jonas & Huber, Laura Rosendahl, 2022. "Subsidized R&D collaboration: The causal effect of innovation vouchers on innovation outcomes," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).
    5. Christopher S. Hayter, 2015. "Social Networks and the Success of University Spin-offs," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 29(1), pages 3-13, February.
    6. Chiappinelli, Olga & Giuffrida, Leonardo M. & Spagnolo, Giancarlo, 2023. "Public procurement as an innovation policy: Where do we stand?," ZEW Discussion Papers 23-002, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Giuseppe Albanese & Raffaello Bronzini, 2025. "The impact of public incentives on the birth of innovative start-ups," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 915, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    8. Howell, Sabrina T. & Rathje, Jason & Van Reenen, John & Wong, Jun, 2021. "Opening up Military Innovation: Causal Effects of 'Bottom-up' Reforms to U.S. Defense Research," IZA Discussion Papers 14297, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Howell, Sabrina T. & Rathje, Jason & Van Reenen, John & Wong, Jun, 2021. "Opening up military innovation: causal effects of reforms to US defense research," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 114430, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Mincheol Choi & Chang‐Yang Lee, 2020. "The Peter Pan syndrome for small and medium‐sized enterprises: Evidence from Korean manufacturing firms," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 426-445, April.
    11. Chiappinelli, Olga & Giuffrida, Leonardo M. & Spagnolo, Giancarlo, 2025. "Public procurement as an innovation policy: Where do we stand?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    12. Peter Grajzl & Stjepan Srhoj & Jaka Cepec & Barbara Mörec, 2024. "A by-product of big government: the attenuating role of public procurement for the effectiveness of grants-based entrepreneurship policy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 895-916, March.
    13. Francesco Quatraro & Marco Vivarelli, 2015. "Drivers of Entrepreneurship and Post-entry Performance of Newborn Firms in Developing Countries," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 277-305.
    14. Boudreaux, Christopher, 2019. "Do private enterprises outperform state enterprises in an emerging market? The importance of institutional context in entrepreneurship," MPRA Paper 93039, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Teichgraeber, Andreas & Van Reenen, John, 2022. "A policy toolkit to increase research and innovation in the European Union," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117801, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Leendertse, Jip & Schrijvers, Mirella & Stam, Erik, 2022. "Measure Twice, Cut Once: Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Metrics," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(9).
    17. Xu, Tao & Zhu, Weiwei, 2022. "Entrepreneurs or Employees: What Chinese Citizens Encouraged to Become by Social Attitudes?," MPRA Paper 113212, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Enrique Claver-Cortés & Bartolomé Marco-Lajara & Pedro Seva-Larrosa & Lorena Ruiz-Fernández & Eduardo Sánchez-García, 2020. "Explanatory Factors of Entrepreneurship in Food and Beverage Clusters in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-22, July.
    19. Renata Dana Nițu-Antonie & Emőke-Szidónia Feder & Valentin Partenie Munteanu, 2017. "Macroeconomic Effects of Entrepreneurship from an International Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-21, July.
    20. Matthew J. Higgins & Donald J. Lacombe & Briana S. Stenard & Andrew T. Young, 2021. "Evaluating the effects of Small Business Administration lending on growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 23-45, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:50:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10961-024-10141-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.