With the advent of knowledge-based society where knowledge emerges as the foundation of all kinds of production, the environment surrounding businesses has dramatically changed to a globally competitive one. As the aptitude of businesses to introduce ...
With the advent of knowledge-based society where knowledge emerges as the foundation of all kinds of production, the environment surrounding businesses has dramatically changed to a globally competitive one. As the aptitude of businesses to introduce and commercialize innovation is directly linked with business competency, businesses are required to take a range of strategies to stay competitive. Previous studies have pointed out that businesses? cooperation with outside organizations, especially universities, has a significant positive impact on their performance. This dissertation aims to investigate effective ways of academia-industrial cooperation through examining the validity of the cooperation between universities, and SME & venture enterprises. It also intends to suggest some ways to help venture businesses improve their performance by promoting technology transfer from universities.
More specifically, this study explores the impact of three latent variables?the joint use of equipments, technological support of universities to businesses through the exchange of human resources, and cooperative technological development through technical guidance-on entrepreneurial capability and their knowledge-absorption ability, and ultimately on their technological innovation which is directly related with their business performance. A survey was conducted on a collection of sample venture businesses which are involved in academy-industry cooperation and businesses which are not. The resulting hypotheses were tested with the structural model and path coefficient by probing confidence among respective parameters through the Structural Equation Model. After comparing technology innovation of those companies, this study suggests some strategies for venture businesses to take to reinforce the cooperation with universities.
The analyses of confidence, factors, structural model, and path coefficient show that the factors of academia-industrial cooperation have great impact on entrepreneurial capability of technology transfer, but that they don't have as much significance on businesses- knowledge absorption ability. However, the outcome of technological innovation of businesses is primarily influenced by entrepreneurial capability rather than their knowledge absorption ability. In terms of business types, electronics companies have more significant paths than mechanical companies and service companies. And in relation with businesses? growth stage, companies in the developing stage are more influenced by academia-industrial cooperation than those in expanding or stable stages. The analysis of seven indexes in business performance indicates that companies involved in academia-industrial cooperation deliver higher performance in three indexes including technology improvement, new product development, and process enhancement. In contrast, the companies not involved in academia-industrial cooperation show better performance in quality improvement, cost reduction, industrial property rights, and labor cost saving.
On the basis of the above study, this dissertation proposes some ways to enhance academia-industrial cooperation as follows. First, to further joint use of equipments which are frequently utilized for the technology commercialization, joint equipment centers, usually located on campus of several universities, should also be established in the industrial park to make them more accessible to venture businesses. Second, venture businesses should reinforce their capability for technology commercialization through active exchange of human resources, and joint research and development with universities. Third, to make the outcome of technology innovation more successful, they should devise and manage step-by-step strategies appropriate for their individual business type and growth stage.
As the heightening of industrial structures is rapidly progressing, the cooperation as well as research on it between SME & venture enterprises and universities is more needed than ever. To increase their performance, SME & venture enterprises should take the initiatives of the cooperation instead of depending on universities to lead on. The business performance achieved through the networking of academia-industrial cooperation will contribute to the increase of technical competitiveness of the regional industry as well as creation of high-end jobs.