Research On Spin-off Capability Of Innovative University

In the era of knowledge economy, university spin-off companies increasingly become an effective mode of university technology transfer and industrialization of knowledge. However, the effect of different universities promote the spin-off company is obvious imbalance both at home and abroad, the most important factor is university spin-off capability. To make a systematic analysis of university spin-off capability and construct the corresponding theoretical system becomes the main purpose of this paper. Research on spin-off capability of innovative university can enrich and develop organizational capability theory, theory of university innovation and entrepreneurship, in practice it can provide governance approaches and policy recommendations for university scientific-technological achievements’ transformation and sustainable development of university technology enterprise.In this study, we use resource-based theory, organizational capability theory, triple helix theory and university governance theory as the theoretical foundation, and integrated use of logical deduction, case studies, empirical analysis and other methods to research university spin-off capability. In the aspect of basic theory construction, the paper pointed out that the prominent feature of innovative university is the integration of science-technology and economic, the university is directly involved in the R&D achievements’ commercialization with the way of spin-off companies, which highlights the importance of spin-off capability. After make a clear definition of university spin-off capability, we compare it with university entrepreneurial capability and innovation capability, and pointed out that the features of spin-off capability are complex abstraction, resource dependence, multiple integration, dynamic evolution and path endogenous.In the aspect of structural analysis of university spin-off capability, we build the analytical framework by combing the findings about capability structure from organizational capability theory, especially the theory of corporate entrepreneurship. Based on the dynamic process perspective, the paper conduct an exquisite case study of Northeastern University and its spin-off company Neusoft group, found that in different stages from the technical R&D and preliminary application to set up an enterprise, and then to the development of enterprise, the university needs to have different capabilities, namely the capability of commercialization of technology, capability of management innovation and capability of network alliance, three kinds of capabilities organic integration, constitutes a systematic university spin-off capability.As a member of the organization capability, university spin-off capability will evolve along with the internal and external environment changes. The paper argues that the essence of the evolution of university spin-off capability is the dynamic adaptive matching between university’s innovative and entrepreneurial knowledge to external environment. The evolution of university spin-off capability is the result of coordinate and integrates the external incentives and internal motivation. The evolution process is three capability factors’ level evolution and entire capability’s variation, selection, copy and maintained. These views are confirmed through university spin-off capability evolution model’s construction and operation. As the spin-off capability consists of a series of organizational knowledge and practices, university need to promote the spin-off capability’s evolution with the help of organizational learning, innovation and other mechanisms, so as to promote sustainable university spin-off companies.Based on former analysis, the measurement and evaluation of the university spin-off capability is the more in-depth and meticulous research. Through the questionnaire survey and the collection of the national statistical data, use factor analysis decompose three sub-elements of spin-off capability, and construct the university spin-off capabilities’ calculation model, in order to measure, clustering and evaluate the32“985Project” universities’ spin-off capability, and study the relationship between spin-off capability and spin-off performance. We found there is a big difference on spin-off capability between different university, this diversity result in the differences of number and business performance of university spin-off company, this study confirmed the university spin-off capability’s explanatory power on imbalance problem of university spin-off companies.Finally, under the perspective of university governance, this paper analyzed the issues related to enhance the spin-off capability for China’s innovative university. Demonstrated the necessity and feasibility of enhance the university spin-off capability from different angles as state, university and enterprises. Noting that although the university has made great progress on deal with the relationship with enterprise and promote its development and other aspects, there still exist some problems such as low technology R&D and transfer level, lack of funding and personnel, limited policy and so on. Therefore, Universities should take actions in four ways of technology commercialization, management innovation, network alliance and capability evolution to solve the problems which hinder spin-off capabilities’ improvement and promote the innovative university sustainable and high quality spin-off companies.