FEATURE PAPER

Co-patenting between University and Industry: evidence from Italy

The following paper was written by Roberto Parente, Michele Petrone and Daniele Cerrato and was presented at the 2011 ICSB Conference in Sweden.

Introduction

This paper focuses on academic patents owned by business companies and investigates the factors affecting the industry involvement in academic research aimed at obtaining new patents. The focus is on co-patenting, i. e. those patents in which university professors are inventors, while business companies are patent applicant. In particular, we investigate if the copatenting between academicians and companies is affected by two main factors: the academic research quality and the regional industry structure. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of 300 patents produced by university professors as inventors. We have selected professors belonging to seven Italian Universities. In summary, the results of the analysis, suggest that factors related to the regional context, rather than factors related to the academicians' performance assume a major role in promoting business involvement in academic research activities that will end in a new patent.

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TIP OF THE WEEK

How Twitter Changed My Business

1. Tweet Constantly: A single tweet has a short shelf life-to create momentum you have to keep active. I wanted such a presence on Twitter that if I didn't tweet for a day or two, people would notice (and they did). It has to become a habit. Don't let the shortness of a tweet fool you into thinking it doesn't take any time to become known. You have to be present. I tweeted almost 7,000 times during those 30 days in January. Excessive? You bet. I don't recommend you try it. I was waiting for the A&E Intervention team to bust down my door to send me to rehab. But I got into the habit of being present on Twitter and got people into the habit of reading what I wrote. I had someone come up to me at an event and ask me how many times I tweet a day. When I replied a few hundred, she gasped and said "Well, that's just too much! I would never follow you!" I wasn't exactly soul-crushed. It wasn't as if I were sending 200 text messages directly to my followers every day. Twitter is a current chat. You don't have to catch up; you don't have to read everything from everybody. You pop on, look around, and jump in. The same woman was wondering what kind of life I could have if I tweeted that much. A tweet is shorter than a text message. I asked her how long it took her to send a text. She mentioned 10 to 20 seconds, which is longer than it takes me to send a tweet. It takes me roughly five to eight seconds to send a tweet. Even if it took me 10 seconds, I've now spent just more than a half hour sending those 200 tweets. Gasp! What a life I must live. There is no "right amount" to tweet. No one can tweet too much or two little because it's your account. You can't try to cater to certain followers because they don't like your frequency. When you have something to say, tweet it. When you see something of interest, reply to it. People will come and go, just keep pushing forward and focus on those who are with you.

2.Tweet Quality: Every day I thought about what I could tweet that would be helpful to others. At first I tweeted a lot about business, and then I moved to specific Twitter tips because people were asking me what the best way was to do things. Replying to requests for help also connects you with people quickly. It gets you on their radar. Even now with tens of thousands of followers, I recognize the ones who jump in when I ask for help with something. Those are the people I can't wait to meet, and don't have a problem with helping when they ask. It's part of that social currency. Give before you expect to get.

3.Tweet retweetable content: This goes along with tweeting quality. Not only did I try to think up tips daily, but wrote them in less than 120 characters. Twitter allows up to 140 characters, but if someone wants to retweet it (RT) to show their followers, it adds to the original (i.e., they have to add "RT@UnMarketing" to the start of the tweet). The last thing I wanted people to have to do was to edit my tweet so it would fit. Why make people work to spread the word about you? Getting retweeted was the number one thing that brought me new followers. Since they read the retweet from someone they follow, it's like a mini-recommendation of me to them. I suggest writing three to five tips a day that are retweetable.

4.Be Authentic: It is just a fancy way of saying "be yourself." Twitter has a unique presence where people are connecting on a higher level than just a virtual business card. Give you opinion. Talk about your interests. Although entrepreneurs live their business 24 hours a day, it does not mean that they have to always talk business. I have met more fascinating business owners talking about music or movies on Twitter than any business topic. When you can connect with others on nonbusiness topics, it removes the impending threat of trying to sell to me. You actually want to get to know me? I'll join in with that!

5.Use a Face picture: It is amazing when I log onto Twitter and up pops a tweet from someone I recognize. It's as if they just entered the room. I actually smile. When I see a tweet pop up with a logo as their picture, I don't get that feeling. It reminds me that this person has a business and is trying to sell me something. And unless you plan on walking around the networking even with your logo on your head, I won't recognize you when we meet in person. There is nothing better at an event than seeing someone you recognize, yet haven't met, and are already have that connection. Also, make sure to use a good picture. It should not be an afterthought. You don't have to spend a truckload of money on a professional shoot, but the faded Polaroid from 1986 of you and your dog isn't going to cut it. Twitter is like online dating for business. It's awkward when you use a picture from 20 years ago that looks nothing like you now. I used to use a picture that was about eight years old, mainly because it was from a photo shoot, and made me look like a GQ model with a serious model pose and no smile at all. This wasn't me, but I thought it made me look "good". I soon changed to a candid shot from a photographer friend with me smiling, mid-conversation. That's exactly how I look and there is no "Whoa, that's not what I expected" when I show up at an event.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New SBI Website

We are excited to inform you the new SBI website is Live and Ready!

Now that the website is up and running, there are a couple of housekeeping items that need to be addressed. Please read below:

Password: One of the key features of the new website is that it allows members to set up a personal password..Don't worry if you forget it you can also reset it. Please click the following link to reset your password: http://smallbusinessinstitute.biz/Sys/ForgottenPasswordRequest.

Profile: Another one of the key features is that you will now have access to update your profile information at any time. Please review your profile and make changes as needed.

E-mail: Due to the change of website providers the @smallbusinessinstitute.biz emails are no longer active. If you need to reach the board members or administrative staff you can find contact information on the CONTACT US tab or click here.

As Mike Harris stated in his announcement earlier this week, we want to do a better job of promoting the success of our members. Please send us your recent accomplishments, articles or good news, so we can share it with all SBI members.

We invite you to visit the new and improved website http://smallbusinessinstitute.biz/, tell us what you think!

SBIJ Journal

The Small Business Institute® Journal has just published its latest issue at www.sbij.org. We invite you to review the Table of Contents here and then visit our web site to review articles and items of interest.

International Journal of Business and Social Science

The International Journal of Business and Social Science is now taking manuscript submissions. All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the e-mail to the editor at editor@ijbssnet.com, or editor.ijbss@hotmail.com. For more information, click here.

Call for Panelists

The Marketing Management Association is accepting panelists for the Fall Educators' Conference on Sept 19-21, 2012 by the Mall of America in Minneapolis. Panelists are needed in the following areas:

. Effectively Using Social Media to Enhance Student Learning
. Building Information Literacy in Classroom Instruction
. Mentoring Junior Faculty: Expectations and Outcomes
. Wiki Class Applications
. Productivity in a Small or One-Person Department
. Activities to Prepare Students for the Job Placement Process
. The Millennial Mindset: Constructive Faculty Responses
. Using LinkedIn as a Teaching Tool
. Interdisciplinary Instruction: Reaching Across Business Disciplines
. Active Learning Innovations
. Managing Millennial Expectations in Team Activities
. Assurance of Learning and Student Internships
. Class Apps with Twitter, Tumblr, StumbleUpon
. Using Teaching Evaluations Effectively
. Advances in Teaching with Simulations
. Innovations in Case Instruction
. Business Ethics: Classroom Exercises with Personal Application
. Teaching Sustainability Across the Business Curriculum
. Student Learning in Undergraduate Research
. Teaching Base of Pyramid Marketing: Global Perspectives on Developing Countries
For more information, you can e-mail Dr. Brian A. Vander Schee at bvanders@aurora.edu or click here.

BABSON

The registration deadline is rapidly approaching for Family Entrepreneurship: Growing the Family Business Across Generations. This new Babson Executive Education program will take place from May 16-17, 2012. We encourage you to register, if appropriate, and to forward this message to colleagues and family members who would benefit from participating.

Built upon Babson's deep experience with family businesses, the program content covers key aspects of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial leadership and will include a combination of lectures, case studies, and action learning projects. For more information, click here.

ICSB 2012 Public Agencies Forum

How can government bodies - such as policy departments, advisory services, regulators and service agencies - develop the most effective means of engagement, communication and information sharing with small businesses?

CONFERENCES

CALLS FOR PAPERS