University-Industry Linkages And Commercialization Of Research Findings: Evidence From South-East Nigeria, 2012-2021
Chinyeaka Justine Igbokwe-Ibeto
Department of Public Administration, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Felicia C Anyanwu
Department of Business Administration, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Keywords: Governance, Partnerships, Innovations, Invention
Abstract
Synergies between tertiary institutions and industries plays a critical role in securing and leveraging resources for promoting innovation and technology transfer as well as ensuring that graduates have the required skills and knowledge to effectively contribute to national development. Within the framework of diffusion of information and new growth theories, this study examined the effect of linkages between university-industries linkage and commercialization of research findings in Nigeria with specific reference to South-East Nigeria 2012-2021. This study was guided by two research questions and hypotheses. The study adopted the survey research design. The study relied on primary and secondary data. The data collected were presented in frequency tables and simple percentage. Multiple Regression Analysis statistical tools were used with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) in testing the research hypotheses. Findings of the study show that, government policies had significant effect on the number of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) sold or bought; that funding mechanisms had significant effect on the number of research contracts awarded to the academic staff; that communication strategies had significant effect on the number of licensed inventions being marketed by universities in the system of innovation in South-East Nigeria. It therefore recommends that, government should strive to provide the enabling environment that paves way for effective university-industry linkages by way of aligning the nation’s industrial policy with her education policy, that a sustainable research funding mechanism should be put in place while stakeholders in the university-industry linkages should embark on regular capacity-building on relevant skills, policy development, IPR management, marketing communications, and entrepreneurship among academic staff of universities in the South-East Nigeria.