Mrykhina O. Technology Transfer within a System of Strategic Development of Universities

The dissertation aims at development of conceptual, methodological and applied frameworks of technology transfer from universities to the business environment. The author has developed a conceptual approach to understanding a “university” component as an element of an education sub-system of the national innovative system. This has enabled to ascertain the fractal nature of an interaction between its elements and to indicate second-order fractal sub-systems (education, research and development projects (R&D), innovations, administrative and production elements) within the “university” component. Taking into account the above-mentioned approach, the author has developed a model for assessing a level of technology readiness for transfer grounded in five components of assessing technology (consumption value; competitiveness; technology readiness; an amount of costs; riskiness). Each of them comprises assessment phases that determine technology readiness stages in the theoretical and methodical context and readiness levels in the applied context. The author has proposed a method for assessing transferability of technologies based on the reliability theory for hierarchically ramified systems grounded in application of a ramified generating function, a recurrence relation for computation of probability distributions for a number of outgoing elements of the system and the mathematical expectation for a number of outgoing elements for the system of assessing a level of technology readiness for transfer. The author has formed a mechanism for the choice of a structural and functional model of technology transfer from universities to the business environment grounded in the sale of licenses for technologies by a university, the foundation of spin-off companies by universities, technology transfer in the form of startups, concluding agreements on joint activity with/without establishing a legal entity, scientific and technical collaboration and takes into consideration a correlation between a level of consumption value and technological readiness of technology. The author has specified a conceptual framework regarding technology transfer from universities to the business environment. The system approach to it has enabled to consider technology transfer as a field of the management theory and as a process of transferring technologies developed at a university and/or with the use of its resources to other economic entities for harnessing or application. The author has enhanced a program model of technology transfer from universities to the business environment based on an integral interrelation of methodological frameworks, applied implementation, factors of technology transfer uncertainty and the system perception of technology transfer. The author has enhanced a conception for development of technologies grounded in knowledge transformation chains that explains an influence of an intangible component of technology (knowledge) on its tangible component, which stipulates the formation of additional value. As a result, externalities may affect technology or the very technology may generate such externalities. The author has improved the technology transfer paradigm that conceptualizes the current driving role of universities in processes of technology transfer and is grounded in understanding technology as a peculiar good that contains knowledge. Activating externalities (synergies, convergences, etc.), knowledge as an intangible component are transferred together with an embodied good (technology) to further levels of its manifestation and cause technology development based on knowledge transformation chains. Using the described paradigm, the author has extended theoretical frameworks of an interrelation of externalities caused by technology transfer. The author has developed a conceptual model for a system of strategic development of a university, which contemplates a component principle of the compilation of elements connected by a structural and functional relation. These elements disclose a full cycle of planning strategic development. This model allows to focus on technology transfer as one of fundamental components of strategic development of a university and to form a strategy for university development in compliance with the current paradigm of technology transfer. The author has formed statements on providing technology transfer from universities to the business environment. The author has enhanced a model for technology transfer based on role reversal through substantiation of a model for technology transfer based on setting up an enterprise, which describes technology transfer that adheres to a “triple spiral” of the interaction within the system “University – Governmental Authority – Business” grounded in the contemporary function of technologies and the conception of “pushing technology / market attraction”.