Developing University Innovation Capacity: How can innovation policy harness universities' capability to promote technology businesses?

How to convert scientific knowledge developed in public research institutions into economic and societal impact is a key concern for both research and innovation policy. Some universities have been very successful in stimulating the creation and developme nt of high-growth technology businesses. Policy makers and university administrators have thus been persuaded to devote considerable resources to improving universities' capacities to valorize their research base. Yet, few universities successfully fulfil led these new expectations of active engagement in research commercialization and policy makers struggle to find efficient supportive initiatives. Research in this area has to some extent explored why some universities contributes more to business innovat ion than others, but whether policy can transform the majority of universities into innovation hotbeds remains an open question. This project contributes to this question via a novel interdisciplinary approach integrating insights from two relatively disc onnected literatures, academic entrepreneurship and university management. The international project team will integrate the current state-of-the-art in both areas to discuss different policy instruments' potential effects upon harnessing universities' ca pability to promote high-growth technology businesses. Norwegian policy-making will benefit from international experiences discussed in relation to the Norway context. Moreover, the project will develop a future research agenda concerning improving our un derstanding of how universities can develop their innovation capacity and potentially improve their business innovation impact. Using an interactive approach closely involving Norwegian policy-makers in the research projects, the project's key deliveries include interactive workshops and policy-maker presentations, and a scoping paper discussing opportunities and challenges relating to the knowledge base for research and innovation policy in a long-term perspective.