TRIPLE HELIX noms.pmd

O-038THE EDINBURGH-STANFORD LINK: LEARNINGS FROM A TRANSATLANTIC TRIPLE HELIXTOWARDS BORN GLOBAL VENTURE FORMATIONMichael Clouser, School of Business, University of Edinburgh, UKAghlab Al-Attili, Edinburgh Research and Innovation, University of Edinburgh, UKIn the growing knowledge economy, the spaces where knowledge is created become increasingly more important. Interactionsbetween government, university and industry can foster innovation and the creation of new ventures from the knowledge base.New forms of triple helix collaborations, such as hybrid organizations, as well as trilateral networks, are created by these actorsin order to fill gaps in roles and reduce transaction costs while enhancing innovation and firm formation (Etzkowitz 2000). Theinnovation of organizational structures and re-ordering and reforming of institutions can assist in the creation of innovative newfirms that are formed within this triple helix context.However, triple helix configurations and networks are usually assumed to benefit a particular region or micro-economy. Little hasbeen research and written about transnational triple helix combinations that are created for the purpose of facilitating entrepreneurialactivity and culture across national boundaries (Clouser 2006).New international ventures that are comprised of members from different countries, or serve multiple international markets in theearly phases of their lifecycles are referred to as “born global ventures”, “international new ventures” or “global start-ups”. Thesenew business types have been in the rise in nearly all developed countries, and researchers have noted the phenomenon(OECD, 1997; Simon, 1996; Nikkei Sangyoo Shimbun, 1995). These new ventures leverage knowledge and use its applicationsto achieve superior performance (Oviatt and McDougall, 1994).The Edinburgh-Stanford Link (ESL1) was a unique and arguably successful research, commercialisation and entrepreneurshipeducation collaboration that crossed international boundaries. Through an act of the Scottish Parliament, the ESL1 was startedas an “experiment”, with a key goal of informing government and university policy makers. In addition, it was given a mantra of“culture change”, with the goal of making the staff and students of the university more entrepreneurial. Moreover, the ESL1 hada specialized model of technology transfer and intellectual property ownership that favored the funding Country. The statedpurpose of new venture creation from ESL1, a triple helix hybrid, was to benefit the local (Scottish economy) through thecreation of new knowledge-intensive jobs, while curtailing “brain drain” in the context of a declining Scottish population base.The intended new knowledge firms were to be “born regionals” therefore and the assumption was that mechanisms of protectionand control would ensure regional benefits from the exploitation of the science base.Much was learned over the last five years studying the organization and its networks. Taking what was learned from “ESL1” theauthor has proposed “ESL2” as a higher impact project to both governmental and university players in both Scotland and SiliconValley region of the US.This talk will explore the potential use of new technologies and propose an innovative new mechanism for firm formation in anexpanded transatlantic triple helix collaboration designed to birth new “born global” ventures in an educational setting. In doingso it will bring into question current the intellectual property regime that is based on nationalistic structures of protectionism.The creative deployment of emerging platforms and available technologies can facilitate new global venture creation as neverbefore. Our talk addresses the use of virtual environments for interaction and new venture building using a new breed ofarchitecture. The rights to the ownership of intellectual creation, formerly dictated by university and governmental policies thatwere constructed in the era of regionalism, become impediments to the birthing of international knowledge ventures in the newera of technological globalism. This constraint is evidenced by lessons learned from the ESL1 experience as well as itsconceptualized and proposed successor.The research questions to be addressed in the presentation include the following: How was the ESL structured and what wereits activities? What happened through the process of change and what was learned? How can the collaboration be improved andwhat does the ESL2 propose to enhance the collaboration? What are the constraints to the new collaboration’s success?Method and Experience.To examine the questions that were posed, we have conducted a qualitative field study over a period of four years. Ethnographicand action research methods were used. Besides participant observation, semi-structured qualitative interviews were usedalong with focus groups and archive review.The co-presenters worked together at the Edinburgh-Stanford Link for fives years from the period of 2004-2009. Both were PhDstudents at the time.Madrid, October 20, 21 & 22 - 201058