Economic Contribution of University Spin-Off

Abstract

University spin-offs (USOs) are drawing increasing interest among both academic and institutions, given their potential contribution in the economic development. In order to obtain empirical evidence about the impact of Spanish USOs, this chapter analyses the population identified in 2013, revealing a limited impact in the business fabric, into job creation and to generating wealth, but major differences among regions. To identify which factors are related to a greater or lesser impact of USO in the regions they are located, the authors apply a logistic regression data panel for the 2012-2015 period. The results show that some traits of USOs and their parent universities determine a greater number of employees, but the particularities of the environment in which they operate, only affect to USOs belonging to the ITC sector. The findings could support public institutions about the types of policies should be promoted to improve the economic contribution of USOs.