The Impact of IP Nondisclosure on and Success Factors in Research-Based/Academic Entrepreneurship

Abstract

For many years commercial products that developed out of university research are a topic of raising interest in academia. The major focus of existing investigations about commercialised academic research is put on developments with patent, thus formal intellectual property (IP) protection. Focus of this study is on unpatented research outcomes and their commercialisation at the example of a balance support tool. Further the study looks at other factors that have an impact on academic entrepreneurship. Whereas – so reveals the study – the pure existence of a patent attracts investors, it does not seem to influence the quantifiable success of a business. Product characteristics, the team behind, the product’s applications, market size and also the work with the academic research institution behind including its network have a major impact on the business’s outcome in numbers. Further influencing factors are the cost absorption of the product as well as feelings and luck of the entrepreneurial team. The aforementioned research results are findings of a qualitative single case study with additional interviews, and thus do not claim completeness and need to be tested on a larger quantitative scale.