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.