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University research alliances, absorptive capacity, and the contribution of startups to employment growths

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  • Toole, Andrew A.
  • Czarnitzki, Dirk
  • Rammer, Christian

Abstract

This paper examines how university research alliances and other cooperative links with universities contribute to startup employment growth. We argue that 'scientific absorptive capacity' at the startup is critical for reaping the benefits from university research alliances, but not necessarily for other university connections. We also estimate the aggregate employment contribution from startup firms and attribute those employment gains to university research alliances and other university connections. We find significant contributions to employment growth from university research alliances and other university connections, but scientific absorptive capacity is critical for university research alliances. Only 7% of the startup population maintained a university research alliance, but among these firms, 3.4% of their total jobs created were attributable to their alliances. These results suggest university connections are quite important for job growth and university research alliances contributed substantially to job creation for those firms that had such alliances.

Suggested Citation

  • Toole, Andrew A. & Czarnitzki, Dirk & Rammer, Christian, 2014. "University research alliances, absorptive capacity, and the contribution of startups to employment growths," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-094, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:zewdip:14094
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Massimo G. Colombo & Massimiliano Guerini & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra & Andrea Bonaccorsi, 2022. "The “first match” between high-tech entrepreneurial ventures and universities: the role of founders’ social ties," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 270-306, February.
    2. Comin, Diego & Licht, Georg & Pellens, Maikel & Schubert, Torben, 2018. "Do Companies Benefit from Public Research Organizations? The Impact of the Fraunhofer Society in Germany," Papers in Innovation Studies 2018/7, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    3. Karbowski, Adam, 2016. "Współpraca badawczo-rozwojowa przedsiębiorstw: przegląd prac empirycznych [R&D Cooperation of Firms: Empirical literature review]," MPRA Paper 77698, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Academic Entrepreneurship; Startups; Firm performance; Technology Transfer; University Spinoff Policy; Human Capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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