Determinants of Knowledge and Technology Transfer Activities between Firms and Science Institutions in Switzerland: An Analysis Based on Firm Data

Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF) Working Paper No. 116

40 Pages Posted: 30 Mar 2006

See all articles by Spyros Arvanitis

Spyros Arvanitis

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) - Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF)

Ursina Kubli

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) - Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF)

Martin Woerter

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) - Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF)

Date Written: December 2005

Abstract

This study explores the factors determining the propensity of Swiss firms to interact with public science institutions in Switzerland (universities and other research institutions), i.e., to get involved in knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) activities in order to gain new tacit and/or codified scientific knowledge in research fields which are relevant for their own innovation activities. We are especially interested in the different forms of this interaction, not only through joint research projects but also through training, recruitment of qualified R&D personnel, jointly supervised master theses and PhDs, consulting and so on. The data used in this study were collected in the course of a survey among Swiss enterprises. The new elements that this paper adds to empirical literature are, first, the analysis of a wide spectrum of KTT activities covering not only research co-operation agreements between firms and science institutions but also general informational and educational activities (transfer of "tacit" knowledge), joint use of technical infrastructure and consulting. Although such additional activities seem to be an important part of KTT activities, they have been neglected in most studies. Second, a further important element is the explicit consideration of a series of relevant motives and obstacles as determinants of KTT which contribute significantly to the econometric explanation of firms' propensity to overall KTT activities as well as to several forms of KTT activities. Third, some insights are gained with respect to the differences between manufacturing and service firms in transacting with science institutions. This is the first Swiss firm-level study on this matter.

Keywords: Knowledge and technology transfer, innovation activities, R&D activities

JEL Classification: O30

Suggested Citation

Arvanitis, Spyros and Kubli, Ursina and Woerter, Martin, Determinants of Knowledge and Technology Transfer Activities between Firms and Science Institutions in Switzerland: An Analysis Based on Firm Data (December 2005). Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF) Working Paper No. 116, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=892575 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.892575

Spyros Arvanitis (Contact Author)

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) - Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF) ( email )

CH-8092 Zurich
Switzerland
+41 44 632 51 68 (Phone)
+41 44 632 13 52 (Fax)

Ursina Kubli

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) - Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF) ( email )

Weinbergstrasse 35
ETH Zentrum
Zurich, 8092
Switzerland

Martin Woerter

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) - Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF) ( email )

CH-8092 Zurich
Switzerland

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