The researcher - entrepreneur paradox: A study into cognitive and motivational factors modulating academic researchers’ entrepreneurial activities

Abstract

With the aim of devising strategies that would improve entrepreneurial activities in early career stage academic researchers, this thesis identifies perceived barriers and enablers in the pursuit of venture creation and commercialization of research findings by scientists before attaining tenure track positions. The focus is on cognitive and motivational factors and the possible coexistence of an entrepreneurial and academic career. It is found that researchers consider commercialization of their work an exit strategy from the academy in light of poor academic career prospects. In the context of commercialization, scientists regard the methods and tools they develop to be more valuable than their core research findings. However, they lack the necessary contacts to areas outside of their research to be aware of the commercialization potential of their work. Furthermore, a strong parallelism between building up a research group and setting up a start-up was identified, which makes the postdoc researcher seeking a tenure track position a good candidate for start-up creation. Researchers who are awarded a tenure track appointment enter an entrepreneurial gap in which they are fully focused on building up their research group. Academic researchers have similar values to social entrepreneurs. Their main motivation in commercializing their results or founding a start-up is to do something good for society. They are not intrinsically opposed to the for-profit nature of commercial activities, but they disapprove of commercialization activities that limit the accessibility of results or that exacerbate wealth imbalances in society. This work highlights the need for business models that reflect these entrepreneurial values and suggests a shift in value locus to accommodate researchers needs. To address equity providers profit goals, fiscal incentives that correlate to the social benefit realized by the start-up are suggested. Giving the technology transfer office, TTO, a more central role in academic research would result in multiple benefits. It is found that researchers are currently unaware of their institutions TTO. This work suggests a proactive approach in which members of the TTO actively visit research labs to help researchers identify the commercial value of their findings and devise strategies within the research group that would lead to venture creation with their work. The TTO is also identified as the builder of academy-industry relations, for instance, by identifying industry partner that may help advance a researchers project or by establishing university consultancy services.