Spin-off universitari e venture capital: un network per la creazione di valore

Abstract

The third mission of universities, the one that allows the commercialization of research results, has assumed a strategic role and primary importance in government policies, in Europe as well as in the rest of the world. Although this attention has raised interest around topics such as technology transfers and university spin-offs (USOs), the scarcity of available resources and the conventional university culture still did not allow us an optimal use of the opportunities related to this type of activity. It is necessary to develop a network among university, business and finance to create value and transform into business projects the result of years of academic research. The aim of this work is to investigate the phenomenon of USOs and the possible link with the private equity, emphasizing the strategies that such USOs can implement for the development of a network that creates value for universities, investors and the community itself.