From Publishing to Patenting: Survey construction of Swedish academics’ motivations

Abstract

Abstract This master thesis contributes to the topic of knowledge and technology transfer, by exploring the motivations for patenting in Swedish academia. Patent is a dispensable indicator to evaluate innovation output performance. As a key activity in University-Industry interaction, academic patents include not only university patents, but also patents co-invented by academics with industrial partners. It is one of the first steps to implement new knowledge created in academia into business practice, but neither all research outcomes have been patented, nor all academic patents have been commercialized. The main objective of this paper is the construction of a survey. The focus rests on the individual perspective of academics, their perception of incentives, internal motivations, and obstacles hampering their behavior in patenting processes. By reviewing public and industry reports, and systematically searched literatures, we 1) illustrated a comprehensive understanding of academic patent topic in Swedish context, 2) identified and generalize the motives for academic patenting and related activities in eight groups: to eight variable groups: financial incentives, legislation and public policy, university supports, industry supports, group culture and networking, R & D incentives, personal rewards and intrinsic motivation; 3) proposed a framework to analyze how these motivations effect academics’ preference and behavior. With the framework and summarized motivations, we constructed a survey based on these motivations in order to collect primary data in Swedish academia. Nano-science technology field is selected as the sample for the survey pilot in this research. In further steps, an interview is planned to obtain qualitative empirical data. Motivations and survey will be modified depending on the results of the interview and survey pilot, then send to a broader scope of Swedish academia.