Beyond the stars: The impact of affiliation with university biotechnology centers on the industrial involvement of university scientists

Most study of university–industry interactions in biotechnology emphasizes the productivity (e.g., patents, spin-off firms) of a relative few number of “star” university scientists. This study uses a national survey of university scientists to assess the industry involvement of university scientists who affiliate with university research centers focused on biotechnology. The results demonstrate such affiliation to correlate positively with informal interactions with industry, such as knowledge exchange, but not with reports of the production of economic and bibliometric outputs. Implications for policy and centers programs are discussed.