Role of Technology Transfer Offices in Patenting and Commercialization of Research Results in Public Funded University: Case of South Africa

Abstract

This study investigates the role of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) in facilitating patenting, licensing, and commercialization within South Africa’s publicly funded universities. As universities are increasingly expected to contribute to national innovation systems, TTOs have become central to translating academic research into marketable outputs. The study is guided by two specific objectives: to determine the role of TTOs in facilitating patenting, licensing, and commercialization for social and country’s economic growth; and to identify the challenges facing TTOs in executing these functions. Using a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 49 respondents across several public universities, including TTO managers, and researchers who were working in TTOs in the selected public institutions. The findings reveal that while South Africa stands out as a regional leader in technology transfer and research commercialization their effectiveness is constrained by lack of buyers of new technology inventions, insufficient commercialization expertise in some institutions, lack of startup policy to effectively commercialize new technology and lack of enough funding to conduct researches. The study concludes that, the government should enact policies that support IP in public institutions and form the national IP management offices to support establishment of TTOs that guide the public universities in terms of recruitment of staffs, capacity building, and support research funding, patenting and commercialization.