Role of Technology Transfer Offices in the Emergence of a Fourth Generation University

Discussion

Mixel Kiemen:

"The 3rd generation is driven by a search for technological innovation, boosting the economy by developing a 3rd university pillar: Technology Transfer Office (TTO). It took centuries to institutionalize science in university, it is only taking decades to institutionalize TTO.

+ First generation TTO date back to the 1970s and existed as business ventures outside the university.

• The 2nd generation TTO arose during the 1990s as incubation centers containing spinoffs (Debackere 2005).

• The 3th generation TTO is an ongoing process and showing some interesting challenges. The focus relates to open innovation, but a paradox arises with the classic value of TTO focused on Intellectual Property.

• Something new is happening as the tipping point is reached. Maarten Steinbuch (2016) called it the 4th generation university."

((https://mixelkiemen.medium.com/the-4th-generation-of-university-is-the-first-of-three-generations-inteversity-5cc459dc3936))

More information

• Graph outlining 4 generations of universities at https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*-QfIBB1a5a9v3guD