PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the relationships between the dimensions of intellectual capital (IC) and the generation of knowledge in public universities.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was developed and administered in Colombia. A total of 209 researchers participated in the study. Data were collected through IC measurements concerning the research mission of the universities. Scientific publications from the respondents and the citations received were taken as proxies for the generation of knowledge. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling was used.FindingsHypotheses proposing a positive association between the dimensions of IC, namely, human capital, structural capital, and relational capital, and the generation of knowledge were tested. The findings highlight that human capital is indirectly and positively related to the generation of knowledge through relational capital, as well as through the path of structural capital-relational capital.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that directors of research at universities could improve the results of this activity by analyzing and understanding the dimensions of IC that contribute to the development of scientific capacities and the generation of knowledge.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies that has examined the interrelationships between the dimensions of IC at universities and the generation of knowledge.