This book advances our understanding of university spin-off creation and development in environments outside the high-tech clusters of the US. While there has been substantial university spin-off activity internationally in recent years, a number of major aspects are little understood. The authors argue that the nature of universities is changing as reduced public funding reflects a public debate on their role in society. An important aspect of this international phenomenon is an increased emphasis on the commercialization of university research and on academic entrepreneurship. These new ventures therefore involve the spinning-off of technology and knowledge generated by universities. The authors adopt a multi-level approach in their examination of university spin-offs. European case studies are specifically selected to reflect the diversity of the institutional environment. In particular, units of analysis involving universities, technology transfer offices, spin-off firms, finance providers and individual entrepreneurs and teams are extensively analysed in quantitative and qualitative studies. To conclude, policy implications for the future successful development of spin-offs are identified. This fascinating book will appeal to a wide-ranging audience including academics, policy makers, researchers and practitioners with an interest in academic entrepreneurship and university spin-offs, and, more generally, in business and management and entrepreneurship.

This highly accessible book brings together the insights of leading academics and researchers to promote a better understanding of the role of private equity providers in the development of growth-oriented start-ups and the management of growth processes. The book explores the domain of start-up and business venturing, and within this realm, the perspectives of the entrepreneur, the venture capitalist, the financial community and the role of government in private equity are considered. Specifically, topics discussed include: * the venture capital industry * investment in venture capital funds in Europe * the Equity Gap * European private equity funds * the role of private equity in the creation of university spin-out companies * motivation of entrepreneurs towards private equity operations. Providing theoretical frameworks together with practical conclusions and implications, this book will be warmly welcomed by academics and practitioners alike. It will be of particular value to scholars with an interest in business, management and entrepreneurship, to investment professionals and policy advisors involved in stimulating entrepreneurship, and, of course, to entrepreneurs themselves.

This highly accessible book brings together the insights of leading academics and researchers to promote a better understanding of the role of private equity providers in the development of growth-oriented start-ups and the management of growth processes. The book explores the domain of start-up and business venturing, and within this realm, the perspectives of the entrepreneur, the venture capitalist, the financial community and the role of government in private equity are considered. Specifically, topics discussed include: * the venture capital industry * investment in venture capital funds in Europe * the Equity Gap * European private equity funds * the role of private equity in the creation of university spin-out companies * motivation of entrepreneurs towards private equity operations. Providing theoretical frameworks together with practical conclusions and implications, this book will be warmly welcomed by academics and practitioners alike. It will be of particular value to scholars with an interest in business, management and entrepreneurship, to investment professionals and policy advisors involved in stimulating entrepreneurship, and, of course, to entrepreneurs themselves.

Biotechnology is referred to as one of the key enabling technologies of the 21st century. It has the potential to offer solutions for a number of health and resource-based problems the world is facing, such as unmet medical needs and fossil fuel dependency. Considerable effort and investment has been expended in recent years to try and improve the outcomes of technology transfer in order to fulfill this potential.This book presents seventeen best-practice case studies on the topic of effective technology transfer in biotechnology. The selected case studies focus on technology transfer offices, funding models, incubators, education and clusters. Each presents an overview of an initiative that was deployed in Europe with the aim of supporting and stimulating the transfer of biotechnology discoveries and technologies from research laboratories to society. Readers are provided with a critical assessment of each initiative and policy makers, entrepreneurs, cluster managers and research institute managers will find inspiring lessons they can draw on when developing and implementing similar initiatives elsewhere.These cases are the product of research undertaken as part of the ETTBio (Effective Technology Transfer in Biotechnology) project, co-financed by the European Union (ERDF - European Regional Development Fund) and made possible by the INTERREG IVC Programme. ETTBio commenced in January 2012 and concluded in December 2014.

This book advances our understanding of university spin-off creation and development in environments outside the high-tech clusters of the US. While there has been substantial university spin-off activity internationally in recent years, a number of major aspects are little understood. The authors argue that the nature of universities is changing as reduced public funding reflects a public debate on their role in society. An important aspect of this international phenomenon is an increased emphasis on the commercialization of university research and on academic entrepreneurship. These new ventures therefore involve the spinning-off of technology and knowledge generated by universities. The authors adopt a multi-level approach in their examination of university spin-offs. European case studies are specifically selected to reflect the diversity of the institutional environment. In particular, units of analysis involving universities, technology transfer offices, spin-off firms, finance providers and individual entrepreneurs and teams are extensively analysed in quantitative and qualitative studies. To conclude, policy implications for the future successful development of spin-offs are identified. This fascinating book will appeal to a wide-ranging audience including academics, policy makers, researchers and practitioners with an interest in academic entrepreneurship and university spin-offs, and, more generally, in business and management and entrepreneurship.

Student Entrepreneurship aims to provide a systematic literature review on the topic, to discuss and suggest a workable definition, and to explore opportunities for further research on student entrepreneurship as a phenomenon and as a basis for theorizing. As is to be expected in an emerging phenomenon of interest, most studies are atheoretical and try to understand the phenomenon in and of itself. The more recent papers on the phenomenon have moved towards using a theoretical approach which could be challenged, changed, or extended in the relevant student population. This review of the literature shows that most studies describe the phenomenon and try to understand the motivations and/or characteristics of student entrepreneurs, while some make causal relations between those motivations and entrepreneurial behavior. The authors start by discussing the method used to systematically list the different contributions to the emerging literature of student entrepreneurship. Next, they describe the different contributions to the phenomenon of student entrepreneurship to the theory of entrepreneurship. Finally, they discuss how the uniqueness of the phenomenon can create unique opportunities for theoretical research.