Transferring knowledge to improve university competitiveness: the performance of technology transfer offices.

Creating and transferring knowledge is actually considered crucial for universities to improve their competitiveness in a new mission to flank teaching and research (third mission). A key concept within the ‘third mission’ is the idea that universities should pay greater attention to knowledge transfer (KT), under the assumption that an efficient KT process from university to industry can be an important source of innovation for firms, a competitive advantage for universities and an engine of economic development for regions. Universities carry out KT activities mainly through their technology transfer offices (TTOs), but the literature findings on the TTO’s role are controversial. Our research contributes to this lively debate, focusing on the efficiency of the Liaison Office (LiO), the TTO in the University of Calabria, measured in terms of research outputs (namely patents, licenses and spin-off contracts). In the research we used the qualitative tools of document analysis and semi-structured interviews to university managers involved with KT activities. The findings of the research highlight that LiO plays an important role for the University of Calabria competitiveness in the third mission, as it effectively valorizes the university research results, mainly helping university spinoffs (USOs) in their start-up and development phases.