IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-02336465.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Determinants of growth in research spin-offs: a resource-based perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Elisa Salvador

    (ESSCA - Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers)

  • Cristina Marullo

    (SSSUP - Scuola Universitaria Superiore Sant'Anna = Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies [Pisa])

  • Andrea Piccaluga

    (SSSUP - Scuola Universitaria Superiore Sant'Anna = Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies [Pisa])

Abstract

There are strong expectations towards research spin-offs, but insufficient empirical evidence still exists on the determinants of growth of such companies. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the debate on growth -or non-growth- of research spin-offs through a focus on Italy. A resource-based perspective is adopted for identifying the crucial determinants of competitive advantage of these companies, and an OLS regression analysis is performed to assess the impact of initial resources on growth in revenues and employees. Our analysis highlights unexpected results about the involvement of industrial partners, venture capitalists, size of IPRs' portfolio at founding and previous experience of the promoting partners.

Suggested Citation

  • Elisa Salvador & Cristina Marullo & Andrea Piccaluga, 2019. "Determinants of growth in research spin-offs: a resource-based perspective," Post-Print hal-02336465, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02336465
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02336465
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-02336465/document
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mike Wright & Bart Clarysse & Philippe Mustar & Andy Lockett, 2007. "Academic Entrepreneurship in Europe," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4041.
    2. Jorge Niosi, 2006. "Success Factors in Canadian Academic Spin-Offs," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 451-457, July.
    3. Bart Clarysse & Mike Wright & Els Van de Velde, 2011. "Entrepreneurial Origin, Technological Knowledge, and the Growth of Spin‐Off Companies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48, pages 1420-1442, September.
    4. Sandberg, William R. & Hofer, Charles W., 1987. "Improving new venture performance: The role of strategy, industry structure, and the entrepreneur," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 5-28.
    5. Florida, Richard L. & Kenney, Martin, 1988. "Venture capital-financed innovation and technological change in the USA," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 119-137, June.
    6. Helmut Fryges & Mike Wright, 2014. "The origin of spin-offs: a typology of corporate and academic spin-offs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 245-259, August.
    7. Dirk Czarnitzki & Christian Rammer & Andrew Toole, 2014. "University spin-offs and the “performance premium”," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 309-326, August.
    8. Franklin, Stephen J & Wright, Mike & Lockett, Andy, 2001. "Academic and Surrogate Entrepreneurs in University Spin-Out Companies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 26(1-2), pages 127-141, January.
    9. Roure, Juan B. & Keeley, Robert H., 1990. "Predictors of success in new technology based ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 201-220, July.
    10. Walter, Sascha G. & Schmidt, Arne & Walter, Achim, 2016. "Patenting rationales of academic entrepreneurs in weak and strong organizational regimes," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 533-545.
    11. Chandler, Gaylen N. & Hanks, Steven H., 1994. "Market attractiveness, resource-based capabilities, venture strategies, and venture performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 331-349, July.
    12. Lokshin, Boris & Hagedoorn, John & Letterie, Wilko, 2011. "The bumpy road of technology partnerships: Understanding causes and consequences of partnership mal-functioning," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 297-308, March.
    13. Davis, Steven J & Haltiwanger, John & Schuh, Scott, 1996. "Small Business and Job Creation: Dissecting the Myth and Reassessing the Facts," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 297-315, August.
    14. Steven J. Davis & John Haltiwanger, 1990. "Gross Job Creation and Destruction: Microeconomic Evidence and Macroeconomic Implications," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1990, Volume 5, pages 123-186, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Marius Tuft Mathisen & Einar Rasmussen, 2019. "The development, growth, and performance of university spin-offs: a critical review," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1891-1938, December.
    16. Mariluz Fernández-Alles & Carmen Camelo-Ordaz & Noelia Franco-Leal, 2015. "Key resources and actors for the evolution of academic spin-offs," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 40(6), pages 976-1002, December.
    17. Paolo Gubitta & Alessandra Tognazzo & Federica Destro, 2016. "Signaling in academic ventures: the role of technology transfer offices and university funds," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 368-393, April.
    18. Davidsson, Per & Honig, Benson, 2003. "The role of social and human capital among nascent entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 301-331, May.
    19. Bernardina Algieri & Antonio Aquino & Marianna Succurro, 2013. "Technology transfer offices and academic spin-off creation: the case of Italy," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 382-400, August.
    20. Fabrizio Cesaroni & Andrea Piccaluga, 2016. "The activities of university knowledge transfer offices: towards the third mission in Italy," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 753-777, August.
    21. Nancy M. Carter & Timothy M. Stearns & Paul D. Reynolds & Brenda A. Miller, 1994. "New venture strategies: Theory development with an empirical base," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(1), pages 21-41, January.
    22. Ans Heirman & Bart Clarysse, 2004. "How and Why do Research-Based Start-Ups Differ at Founding? A Resource-Based Configurational Perspective," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 29(3_4), pages 247-268, August.
    23. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2014. "Are traditional industrial partnerships so strategic for research spin-off development? Some evidence from the Italian case," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1-2), pages 47-79, April.
    24. Delmar, Frederic & Davidsson, Per & Gartner, William B., 2003. "Arriving at the high-growth firm," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 189-216, March.
    25. Powers, Joshua B. & McDougall, Patricia P., 2005. "University start-up formation and technology licensing with firms that go public: a resource-based view of academic entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 291-311, May.
    26. Coad, Alex & Segarra, Agustí & Teruel, Mercedes, 2016. "Innovation and firm growth: Does firm age play a role?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 387-400.
    27. Richard T. Harrison & Claire M. Leitch, 2007. "Dynamics of University Spin-Out Companies: Entrepreneurial Ventures of Technology Lifestyle Businesses?," Chapters, in: Bart Clarysse & Juan Roure & Tom Schamp (ed.), Entrepreneurship and the Financial Community, chapter 11, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    28. Tindara Abbate & Fabrizio Cesaroni, 2017. "The (needed?) market orientation of academic spin-off firms," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 21(4/5), pages 395-421.
    29. Philippe Mustar, 1997. "How French academics create hi-tech companies: The conditions for success or failure," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(1), pages 37-43, February.
    30. Scott Shane & Toby Stuart, 2002. "Organizational Endowments and the Performance of University Start-ups," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(1), pages 154-170, January.
    31. Andreas Stephan, 2014. "Are public research spin-offs more innovative?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 353-368, August.
    32. Einar Rasmussen & Mike Wright, 2015. "How can universities facilitate academic spin-offs? An entrepreneurial competency perspective," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 40(5), pages 782-799, October.
    33. Philippe Mustar & Mike Wright & Bart Clarysse, 2008. "University spin-off firms: Lessons from ten years of experience in Europe," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 67-80, March.
    34. Davila, Antonio & Foster, George & Gupta, Mahendra, 2003. "Venture capital financing and the growth of startup firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 689-708, November.
    35. Lockett, Andy & Wright, Mike, 2005. "Resources, capabilities, risk capital and the creation of university spin-out companies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1043-1057, September.
    36. Grandi, Alessandro & Grimaldi, Rosa, 2003. "Exploring the Networking Characteristics of New Venture Founding Teams," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 329-341, December.
    37. Simona Iammarino & Francesca Sanna-Randaccio & Maria Savona, 2009. "The perception of obstacles to innovation. Foreign multinationals and domestic firms in Italy," Revue d'économie industrielle, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 75-104.
    38. Cooper, Arnold C. & Gimeno-Gascon, F. Javier & Woo, Carolyn Y., 1994. "Initial human and financial capital as predictors of new venture performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 9(5), pages 371-395, September.
    39. Phillips McDougall, Patricia & Shane, Scott & Oviatt, Benjamin M., 1994. "Explaining the formation of international new ventures: The limits of theories from international business research," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 9(6), pages 469-487, November.
    40. Panagiotis Ganotakis, 2012. "Founders’ human capital and the performance of UK new technology based firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 495-515, September.
    41. Zucker, Lynne G & Darby, Michael R & Brewer, Marilynn B, 1998. "Intellectual Human Capital and the Birth of U.S. Biotechnology Enterprises," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(1), pages 290-306, March.
    42. Elisa Salvador & Pierre-Jean Benghozi, 2015. "Research spin-off firms: does the university involvement really matter?," Post-Print hal-02091015, HAL.
    43. Christopher S. Hayter, 2016. "A trajectory of early-stage spinoff success: the role of knowledge intermediaries within an entrepreneurial university ecosystem," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 633-656, 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. Christopher S. Hayter & Andrew J. Nelson & Stephanie Zayed & Alan C. O’Connor, 2018. "Conceptualizing academic entrepreneurship ecosystems: a review, analysis and extension of the literature," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 1039-1082, August.
    2. Marius Tuft Mathisen & Einar Rasmussen, 2019. "The development, growth, and performance of university spin-offs: a critical review," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1891-1938, December.
    3. Bahuleyan, Athira & Chavan, Meena & Krzeminska, Anna & Chirico, Francesco, 2024. "Process and variance research: Integrating research on university spinoff evolution," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    4. Mauro Sciarelli & Giovanni Catello Landi & Lorenzo Turriziani & Mario Tani, 2021. "Academic entrepreneurship: founding and governance determinants in university spin-off ventures," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1083-1107, August.
    5. Elisa Salvador & Pierre-Jean Benghozi, 2015. "Research spin-off firms: does the university involvement really matter?," Post-Print hal-02091015, HAL.
    6. F. I. Vega-Gómez & F. J. Miranda González & J. Pérez-Mayo, 2020. "Analyzing the Effects of Institutional- and Ecosystem-Level Variables on University Spin-Off Performance," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, June.
    7. Alice Civera & Michele Meoli, 2018. "Does university prestige foster the initial growth of academic spin-offs?," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 45(2), pages 111-142, June.
    8. Gümüsay, Ali Aslan & Bohné, Thomas Marc, 2018. "Individual and organizational inhibitors to the development of entrepreneurial competencies in universities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 363-378.
    9. Christian Sandström & Karl Wennberg & Martin W. Wallin & Yulia Zherlygina, 2018. "Public policy for academic entrepreneurship initiatives: a review and critical discussion," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(5), pages 1232-1256, October.
    10. Giuliano Sansone & Daniele Battaglia & Paolo Landoni & Emilio Paolucci, 2021. "Academic spinoffs: the role of entrepreneurship education," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 369-399, March.
    11. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2014. "Are traditional industrial partnerships so strategic for research spin-off development? Some evidence from the Italian case," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1-2), pages 47-79, April.
    12. Giuseppe Criaco & Tommaso Minola & Pablo Migliorini & Christian Serarols-Tarrés, 2014. "“To have and have not”: founders’ human capital and university start-up survival," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 567-593, August.
    13. Samantha Bradley & Christopher Hayter & Albert Link, 2013. "Proof of Concept Centers in the United States: an exploratory look," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 349-381, August.
    14. Rasmussen, Einar & Borch, Odd Jarl, 2010. "University capabilities in facilitating entrepreneurship: A longitudinal study of spin-off ventures at mid-range universities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 602-612, June.
    15. Civera, Alice & Meoli, Michele & Vismara, Silvio, 2020. "Engagement of academics in university technology transfer: Opportunity and necessity academic entrepreneurship," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    16. Zabara, Tatiana, 2019. "Evolution of entrepreneurial teams in technology-based new ventures," Other publications TiSEM cc09d065-3811-47b6-9c93-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    17. K. Poehlmann & R. Helm & O. Mauroner & J. Auburger, 2021. "Corporate spin-offs’ success factors: management lessons from a comparative empirical analysis with research-based spin-offs," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1767-1796, August.
    18. Dorner, Matthias & Fryges, Helmut & Schopen, Kathrin, 2017. "Wages in high-tech start-ups – Do academic spin-offs pay a wage premium?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-18.
    19. Stefano Poponi & Alessio Maria Braccini & Alessandro Ruggieri, 2017. "Key Success Factors Positively Affecting Organizational Performance of Academic Spin-Offs," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 14(05), pages 1-18, October.
    20. María Jesús Rodríguez-Gulías & David Rodeiro-Pazos & Sara Fernández-López & Christian Corsi & Antonio Prencipe, 2018. "The role of venture capitalist to enhance the growth of Spanish and Italian university spin-offs," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 1111-1130, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Knowledge valorisation; Technology transfer; research spin-offs; Academic entrepreneurship; Resource-based view;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:hal:journl:hal-02336465. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.