The Effects of Research Commercialization Policy on Basic Scientific Research Conducted at Universities

研發成果商業化政策對大學校院基礎科學研究的影響

黃婉玲(Wan-Ling Huang)

《科技管理學刊》 21卷4期 (2016/12) Pp. 1-32

摘要

Since the passage of the Science and Technology Basic Law, university and academic scientists have been allowed to privatize and market the results of publicly funded research. However, it is unclear what effects the research commercialization policy may have on the nature of research conducted at universities. This study investigates whether university initiatives and individual scientists’ reaction to the national policy drive university research toward the applied side. The data for this study come from a 2013 national survey of 474 university scientists and engineers in Taiwan. After controlling for the impact of fields of science, our findings indicate that reliance on industry funds makes university research more application-oriented, while other university initiatives have trivial influences on the nature of selected research projects. In addition, scientists’ engagement in patenting activity and their attitudes toward research commercialization provide significant explanations for the selection of application-oriented research projects. This study informs policy makers of the potential negative impact of academic patenting and industry sponsorship on long-term scientific progress.

關鍵字

research commercialization policy ； research project selection ； appliedness of academic research

並列摘要

科學技術基本法允許大學校院與大學教授可就政府補助之研究成果，申請專利並授權使用，不受國有財產法之限制。然而，研發成果商業化政策的推動，對於大學校院基礎科學研究的影響，在文獻上仍是個待解答的問題。基此，本研究旨在探討除了學科領域的影響之外，大學校院為因應政府政策而對研發成果商業化活動採取的鼓勵措施，以及大學教授就研發成果商業化活動在行為上以及態度上的轉變，是否使得大學教授的研究往應用端靠攏?本研究針對474位台灣科學及工程領域的大學教授進行問卷調查，結果顯示在控制學科領域的影響之後，大學校院為推動研發成果商業化所採取的鼓勵措施，似乎對於大學教授研究計畫的屬性沒有明顯的影響，但對企業研究經費的依賴卻顯著地提升研究計畫的應用性。此外，大學教授對於專利申請的投入以及對研發成果商業化活動所抱持的態度，皆會對其研究計畫的屬性造成影響。本研究有助於政策制定者了解大學專利以及仰賴企業提供研究經費，對長期科學發展可能帶來的負面影響。

並列關鍵字

研發成果商業化政策 ； 研究計畫的選擇 ； 學術研究的應用性

參考文獻

American Association for Public Opinion Research(2009).Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case Codes and Outcome Rates for Surveys.Kansas:American Association for Public Opinion Research.

Aghion, P.,Dewatripont, M.,Stein, J. C.(2008).Academic Freedom, Private-sector Focus, and the Process of Innovation.RAND Journal of Economics.39(3),617-635.

Agrawal, A.,Henderson, R.(2002).Putting Patents in Context: Exploring Knowledge Transfer from MIT.Management Science.48(1),44-60.

American Association for Public Opinion Research(2008).Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case Codes and Outcome Rates for Surveys.KS:American Association for Public Opinion Research.

Argyres, N. S.,Liebeskind, J. P.(1998).Privatizing the Intellectual Commons: Universities and the Commercialization of Biotechnology.Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.35(4),427-454.