Showing papers by "Maurizio Sobrero published in 2014"

Innovation and export in SMEs: the role of relationship banking

Abstract: This paper assesses the role of relationship lending in explaining simultaneously the innovation activity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), their probability to export (i.e. the extensive margin) and their share of exports on total sales conditional on exporting (i.e. the intensive margin). We adopt a measure of informational tightness based on the ratio of firm’s debt with its main bank to firm’s total assets. Our results show that the strength of the bank-firm relation has a positive impact on both SME’s probability to export and their export margins. This positive effect is only marginally mediated by the SME’s increased propensity to introduce product innovation. We further discuss the financial and non-financial channels through which the intensity of bank-firm relationship supports SMEs’ international activities.

University spin-offs and their impact: longitudinal evidence from Italy

Abstract: The creation of university spin-off companies (USOs) is one of the most visible form of commercialization of university research. To date, there is scant and mixed evidence about USOs and their performance, thus producing a debate about their impact on the economy and society and about the legitimization of policies to support their development. In this paper, we address this gap by providing evidence about the growth strategies and performances of USOs in the Italian context. We analyze the population of nine hundred thirty-five USOs spin-off from Italian public universities since 2000, highlighting potential avenues for future research on this important topic.

Organisational Change and the Institutionalisation of University Patenting Activity in Italy

Abstract: As universities are increasingly called by their national governments for a more entrepreneurial management of public research results, they started to develop internal structures and policies to take a proactive role in the commercialisation of university research. For the first time, this paper presents a detailed chronicle of how country-level reforms on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) were translated into organisation-level mechanisms to regulate university-patenting activity. The analysis is based on the complete list of patent policies issued between 1993 and 2009 by the population of Italian universities. Our evidence suggests that universities first dealt with legislative changes on IPRs by enacting isomorphic behaviours, then by creating a community of practices, and finally by leveraging on such community to influence government reforms on IP-related matters. We discuss our results in the light of institutional theory and public policy.

Fifteen Years of Academic Entrepreneurship in Italy: Evidence from the Taste Project

Abstract: Over the last 20 years, the processes of knowledge transfer and commercialization of academic research through the creation of new research-based ventures (i.e., academic spin-offs) has gained momentum in Italy. The relevance of this phenomenon to policymakers and managers motivates the research efforts undertaken by the TASTE project, which systematically collects and analyzes multilevel, longitudinal data on the population of 95 Italian universities and their personnel, departments, patenting, entrepreneurial support, and spin-out activities. In this report, we focus on the 1,010 companies that have spun-off from Italian universities, analyzing their main characteristics, shareholding and founding teams, innovation and growth strategies, internationalization behaviors, and performances.

University Spin-Offs and Their Impact: Longitudinal Evidence from Italy

Abstract: The creation of University Spin-Off companies (USOs) is one of the most visible form of commercialization of university research. To date, there is scant and mixed evidence about USOs and their performance, thus producing a debate about their impact on the economy and society and about the legitimization of policies to support their development. In this paper, we address this gap by providing evidence about the growth strategies and performances of USOs in the Italian context. We analyze the population of 935 USOs spun-off from Italian public universities since 2000, highlighting potential avenues for future research on this important topic.