Exploring patterns of knowledge transfer from university to industry : do sectors matter?

This paper empirically explores the reasons underlying the importance of different channels of knowledge transfer from universities to industry. For this purpose, responses from two questionnaires are analysed, one addressing Dutch industrial researchers and the other Dutch university researchers. A reassuring result is that the perceived importance between the 23 distinct transfer channels we distinguished hardly differs between industry and university: we did not observe an eminent mismatch. Trying to understand the choice for and importance of technology transfer channels in particular contexts, we found that the observed sectoral diversity of knowledge transfer reflects mainly differences related to the disciplinary origin and the characteristics of the underlying knowledge. To a lesser extend, the characteristics of the people involved in producing and using this knowledge, as well as to the characteristics of the environment of its production and use are relevant. On the basis of our findings, we offer policy recommendations.