The Second Academic Revolution and the Rise of Entrepreneurial Science
Posted: 24 Nov 2009
Date Written: 2001
Abstract
A second academic revolution is underway asuniversities combine research and teaching with technology transfer. Theuniversity's transformation, or "bi-evolution," is undergoing a shiftfrom an individual to an organizational perspective. Entrepreneurialscientists and entrepreneurial universities are reshaping the academiclandscape by transforming knowledge into intellectual property. Theprofessorial role had taken on an "entrepreneurial cast" and theresearch group had become a firm-like entity long before academics startedforming firms. Both the first academic revolution in the United States (in mid-nineteenthcentury), and the current second academic revolution are discussed, consideringacademic science transformed into both an economic and an intellectual endeavoras faculty members and graduate students learn to assess the commercial andintellectual value of their research. The new entrepreneurial role of theuniversity is based upon creating new knowledge-based firms, locally, as wellas selling technology for profit. As the universities’ interest in making moneyfrom their resources grows, universities compete in a new arena. Whenscientific knowledge is appropriated for income-generation, science itselfchanges from a cultural process into a productive force that generates newincome. (CBS)
Keywords: Incubators, Research parks, University-industry relations, Technology transfer, University spinouts, Intellectual property, Colleges & universities, Licensing strategies, Academic research, Entrepreneurial faculty
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation