Responsible research and innovation transfer: The perspective of universities

Abstract

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to answer the research question: Which issues play crucial roles in universities’ responsible research and the innovation transfer process? The tool used to achieve the aim of the study was analysis of the specific role of the concept of responsible research and innovation transfer from universities to the economy.
 THE RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND METHODS: The research results can generate innovations that can be transferred to the economy. Considering all stakeholders of innovations transferred from universities to the economy, the criteria of evaluating innovations in terms of responsibility should be studied. The research method is based on literature analysis.
 THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The article begins with a literature review in the area of research and responsible innovation. Then, an attempt is made to synthetically analyze the dimensions of responsible innovation in order to formulate a basis for further inference. In the next part of the study, we used six dimensions of responsibility to explore the process of innovation transfer from universities to the economy.
 RESEARCH RESULTS: The article shows that on the basis of the assumptions of the concept of responsible research and technology transfer, it is possible to create a framework that is the basis for evaluating the activity of a university in relation to the economic environment. Moreover, the Quadruple Helix framework of innovation is the most relevant tool to analyze actors and their interactions in an innovation ecosystem.
 CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Responsible innovation dimensions such as inclusion, anticipation, responsiveness, reflexivity, sustainability, care could be considered as a basis for evaluating universities’ technology transfer process.