Innovation, technology transfer and development: the spin-off companies

The article starts from the identification of the reasons why Italy is less prone to technology transfer than other countries, and indicates some key issues for the diffusion of technological innovations and the development of human capital. In particular, technology transfer is not a generic form of exploitation of outcome of the research, it involves specific actions that have impact on economic production, such as the patenting and the creation of new companies (spin-offs). The author discusses the various forms of spin-offs of university research, the evolution of the phenomenon in the structures of the uni- versities, the stages of development of a spin-off company and the current fund- ing arrangements and to be promoted.