Being entrepreneurial in different university settings: a comparison of four UK universities

While much research is conducted on academic spin-offs, such as the factors favourable to their creation or their contribution to economic wealth, there is much less research about their impact on the parent institutes to which they are related. Through a comparison of four research-intensive universities in the UK we show that academic spin-off companies can have positive impacts on the parent institutes which go beyond economic concerns. Advancing our research further beyond quantifiable benefits we show that these companies play an important role in signalling positively for students, academics and industry.