Analysis of factors influencing technology transfer: A structural equation modeling based approach

Abstract

Technology transfer is one of the facets of academic entrepreneurship and acts as a vital element of the innovation system. It forms a sustainable link between research and business communities. A holistic model for successfully transferring technology in developing countries is an unmet need in the context of technology transfer from public‐funded academic research institutions to small and medium enterprises. In this work, we developed a conceptual model and undertook an empirical study for the determinants of successful transfer. A questionnaire was prepared and administered to key stakeholders involved in technology transfer. Overall, 321 respondents participated in the survey with congener demography. The conceptualized input factors, viz. micro‐level, meso‐level, and macro‐level factors, are significantly interrelated. The contribution of input factors towards the successful transfer of technology was extensively analyzed and tested using covariance‐based structural equation modeling. The results show that the model is a good fit. The study revealed that communication, innovativeness, knowledge, quality of the product, and motivation were the five most important factors for successfully transferring technology.