Disclosure of university research to third parties: A non-market perspective on an Italian university

Abstract

Nations, universities, and regional governments commit resources to promote the dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge. One focuses on knowledge-based innovations and the economic function of the university in terms of technology transfer, intellectual property, university-industry-government relations, etc. Faculties other than engineering or applied sciences, however, may not be able to recognize opportunities in this "linear model" of technology transfer. We elaborate a non-market perspective on the third mission in terms of disclosure of the knowledge and areas of expertise available for disclosure to other audiences at a provincial university. The use of ICT can enhance communication between actors on the supply and demand sides. Using an idea originally developed in the context of the Dutch science shops, the university staff was questionnaired about keywords and areas of expertise with the specific purpose of disclosing this information to audiences other than academic colleagues. The results were brought online in a thesaurus-like structure that enables users to access the university at the level of individual email address. This model stimulates variation on both the supply and demand side of the innovation process, and strengthens the accessibility and embeddedness of the knowledge base in a regional economy.

University–industry cooperation: A systematic literature review and research agenda

“…Regions (i.e. 'triple helix regional spaces') are then considered endowed with universities that can be optimised to fulfil their third mission through additional incentives for higher education and internationally oriented research (Venditti et al 2013). In line with the growth of a global knowledge economy, many European countries have implemented reforms of their national research systems to increase the commercialisation of research and the transfer of knowledge from university to industry.…”

Networked Learning

“…The third mission began with a strong focus on the relationship with research activities in universities, largely in the natural sciences. A further issue related to the contemporary emphasis on an entrepreneurial third mission is the connection to open access, especially open access to data originating in universities (Vendetti et al 2013 ). For certain parts of the commercial world universities hold extensive resources that open access can make freely available to business.…”

Intellectual Capital Reporting of Universities – A Third Mission Oriented Approach to Communication with Stakeholders

“…The emergence of the 'third mission' of universities is a critical (but not new) dimension of university activities (Laredo, 2007). The articulation of a 'third mission' has emerged since the 1980s as a consequence of global pressure on universities to play a more central role in the knowledge economy (Venditti et al, 2011). It relates to widely understood social contribution of universities, however today this idea is widely perceived and promoted as being chiefly an economic contribution (Vorley & Nelles, 2008).…”