Description
Information concerning technology based entrepreneurship challenges and opportunities to enhance a university.
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
1
Eleventh LACCEI Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology (LACCEI’2013)
International Competition of Student Posters and Paper, August 14 - 16, 2013 Cancun, Mexico.
Technology Based Entrepreneurship: Challenges and
Opportunities to enhance a University Spinoff
Adriana Torres
ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, [email protected]
Andrea Siller
ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, [email protected]
Faculty Mentor:
Nancy Aceves, Ph. D.
ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Technology based entrepreneurship is a key factor to foster economic development in a country. Universities are
institutions where knowledge is shared and accumulated, however its mission also comprises serving society with
that researches and inventions that arise. University students, especially the ones enrolled on a doctorate program,
can be the young innovative force that joins high technology research and development with the creation of new
ventures. The aim of this paper is to present the perceptions of the Ph.D students registered on a program created
by ITESM in order to foster and promote entrepreneurship, called Doctorate Spinoff Program, in terms of the
strengths and challenges they have encountered while following the entrepreneurial path. In addition
recommendations to enhance this program are made by the pioneers of this model.
Keywords: Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Spinoff, Technology-Based, Doctorate
El emprendimiento de base tecnológica es un factor clave para el desarrollo de un país. Las universidades son
instituciones donde el conocimiento es compartido y acumulado, sin embargo su misión a la vez comprende
servir a la sociedad con las investigaciones e invenciones que sean creadas. Los estudiantes universitarios, en
especial los que forman parte de un programa doctoral, pueden ser la fuerza joven de innovación que una la
investigación tecnológica con el desarrollo mediante la creación de nuevas empresas. El objetivo de este artículo
es presentar las percepciones de los estudiantes doctorales inscritos en un programa creado por el ITESM para
impulsar y promover el emprendimiento, llamado Programa de Células de Incubación, en términos de las
fortalezas y retos que se han encontrado al seguir el camino del emprendimiento. Además de presentar
recomendaciones para mejorar el programa según los pioneros participantes en este modelo.
Palabras clave: Ingeniería, Emprendimiento, Spinoff, Basado en Tecnología, Doctorado
Introduction
University students often seek more than just knowledge, either to pursue successfully their “dream job” or to
start a new business through entrepreneurial activities. To be able to apply the knowledge learned is possibly one
of the main reasons why students enroll in a university. The set of skills needed to transcend on either path are
different, but the university education and program focus are key to accomplish those goals. In the scope of this
article, only the entrepreneurial path sought by students is acknowledged.
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
2
Entrepreneurship has been an ongoing topic due to the benefits that the creation of new ventures provides to a
country´s economic development and the personal realization that provides to the founder. Mexico, as a
developing country, has been concerned with innovation, employment creation and economic growth, and it has
been stated that “rapid economic catch-up depends on countries´ entrepreneurs being able to absorb and creatively
adapt technological knowledge” (Naudé et al., 2011). On this regard, entrepreneurs are a key component to drive
successfully the economic development desired transforming the actual factor-driven stage of development of the
country characterized as Acz and Szerb (2009) stated by high rates of unemployment and small business, to the
innovation-driven stage of development where more than 30% of economic activity is based on innovation in
entrepreneurship.
Adding innovations in science and technology, make the creation of ventures even more desirable to university
students, who may seek to embark on the entrepreneurial path if the right motivation and skills needed are
developed on them. As Schumpeter (1947) observed, an entrepreneur is distinguished from an inventor because
an entrepreneur gets things done. Getting things done requires a special, rather than a specialist, set of skills,
distinguished by its generalist and broad-based nature (Lazear, 2004; Michelacci, 2003). Entrepreneurs need to
master not only their own technical specialization, but also a broad set of business management and leadership
skills in order to access and mobilize the resources necessary for launching and growing the new venture. In other
words, to successfully manage and orchestrate multiple domains of activity. In light of this, the education and the
motivation received are key factors that can foster entrepreneurship in students.
The link between education and entrepreneurship has been previously discussed leading to the recognition that
education is an important stimulus for entrepreneurship (Raposo & do Paço, 2011; Peterman & Kennedy, 2003;
Kuratko, 2005). Traditional education can be argued that focuses on skills to embark on a “seek-a-job” approach
leaving aside creativity and business formation as a career path. However the notion that entrepreneurship can be
taught, has caused to emerge the notion of entrepreneurship education. Several authors have recognized its main
characteristics as differentiation from business education addressing equivocal nature of business entry (Gartner,
Bird, & Starr, 1992), courses that focus on changing attitudes and motives (Hansemark, 1998) including the topics
of negotiation, leadership, new product development, creative thinking, and exposure to technological innovation
(McMullan & Long, 1987).
Dyer (1994) proposed that according to the theory of career socialisation proposes that social characteristics
influence one´s decision, including the exposure to educational experiences. Therefore the education programs
that provide entrepreneurial social experiences in form of significant responsibilities, practices to start one's own
business and to observe role models (Peterman & Kennedy, 2003) may influence a person's desire to pursue a
career congruent with his or her learning experiences (Kram, 1983; Shapero & Sokol, 1982). Hence, enterprise
educational experiences could be expected to influence the perceived desirability of starting a business. It is
evident then, that universities and the high level education that they provide play a key role in the entrepreneurial
path that their students may undertake. In addition the literature abounds with work that emphasizes the
importance of university research as one of the drivers of high-technology-based economic development and an
essential ingredient of a successful innovation system.
New knowledge is characterized by greater uncertainty and asymmetry than other economic goods (Acs and
Varga, 2005), therefore entrepreneurship plays an important role in facilitating the exploitation of knowledge
spillovers which occur at universities. ITESM, as one of the most recognized universities in Latin America has
incorporated to its mission for 2015: to drive the development of new businesses through an entrepreneurial
culture. In junction of classes, there are programs that encourage students to pursue the entrepreneurial path like
“Spheres of Innovation”, “Accelerator and Venture Incubators” and the “Incubation Cells Program for the
doctoral students”. This last option, the Incubation Cells Program for the doctoral students draws special attention
to us, since Ph.D students by means of their high level research following an entrepreneurial path can develop
high-tech ventures that strengthen our regional economy. However communication and continuous involvement
of students are not always present, "there is a lack of information to students about the services offered by the
university to support entrepreneurship, many students do not know that there is a business incubator and others do
not know exactly what services it offers. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to address an opportunity to bridge that
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
3
gap and further motivate students through the experiences of former participants, inquiring about the positive
impact and the challenges these leaders have experienced. And at the same time, provide, useful guidelines about
feelings and expectations of graduate students to embrace entrepreneurship as a way of living.
Doctorate Spinoff background
In Mexico, by 2013 there are registered more than 500 incubators with a presence in over 190 cities. However,
only 21 are considered to foster high-tech innovations. The implications of this fact are huge, on one hand the
opportunities for high-tech ventures to develop is undermined and reinforces the challenge that entrepreneurs have
when choosing to build up a company from a newly discovered high technology invention. As well, this gives a
distinctive feature to the few incubators that are dedicated to high-tech in a developing economy, as ours.
It is then relevant that one of those incubators is part of the program of Doctoral Spinoffs at ITESM in Monterrey,
which currently gives the opportunity to 380 students from seven doctoral programs to create a new ventures
(spinoffs) based on their research along their doctoral degree. A university spinoff is a new firm created to exploit
commercially some knowledge, technology or research results developed within a university. The program was
founded on 2006, to enhance the scientific work of Ph.D students and encourage projects that impact positively on
solving urgent problems or market needs, as well as to fulfill the commitment to scientific and technological
development of the university. As students enroll on the program, the traditional doctoral study evolves into a
joint program where basic research, article publication and dissertation are one part. Whereas the complementary
one is the definition of an incubation project followed by the incubation of a new venture based on the results of
their Ph.D research. The Doctorate Spinoff program offers the participants the support of the university in terms
of infrastructure as access to laboratories as office space; and human capital as courses and advice from experts on
legal, fiscal administrative and patenting issues and a personalized business counselor.
Research about the doctorate spin off program opinions are fundamental to create a robust entrepreneurship
ecosystem in which every student has the opportunity to start up a new venture and the set of skills and resources
needed to succeed.
Methodology
The research questions
To gain insight about the Doctorate Spinoff Program and its role in fostering technology based ventures from the
perspective of students, a series of interviews were conducted to the actual students enrolled in this program (26)
to address the following research objectives: (1) To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the institutional
effort to enhance technology-based entrepreneurship among Ph. D. students; and (2) to envision new means to
take advantage of the market opportunities in Latin America and to shed new light on key issues of
entrepreneurship development.
The survey
The design of the interview was focused on the student’s perception of the program in order to understand the
actual position of the spinoff, the challenges that the leaders have faced along the entrepreneurial path, the key
factors that the program has offered and finally the recommendations that the students perceive could strengthen
the program. The survey consisted of three main parts, each section with a specific goal. The first section was
constituted by five questions, and intended to inquire about the history that has driven the incubated project to its
actual position in terms of potential clients, the product costs, the high proposition value of the new venture and
the strategic alliances. The second one comprised by three questions regarding the entrepreneurial ecosystem
around their spinoff nurtured by the university program, including favorable conditions as well as difficulties and
their opinion/knowledge of intellectual property policies. Finally in the last section it was asked about the
contribution to the construction of university support future agendas and the recommendations to the institution.
The sample
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
4
At the moment, there are twenty six registered projects; three of those are already constituted as start-up
companies. Every project was invited to participate, but the final sample consisted on half of the total projects
involved in the program. It comprised students from all kinds of disciplines and with different time involved in
the program, thus the study had a broad sample of students with different motivation and technical background.
The method
Each interview took about 40 minutes and all of them were made in February 2013 by the authors. They were
recorded on audiotape and then listened carefully to extract the key elements to answer the research questions. In
some cases, it was not allowed the audiotape, but we could manage to take rush notes of the main answers. J ust
one interview was made by email.
Results
The results of this research show the perceptions of the doctorate students regarding the strengths and weaknesses
of the institutional effort to enhance technology-based entrepreneurship. The key internal factors of the Doctoral
Spinoff Program are: (1) It is a institutional and declare program that has a meaningful space on the mission
statement; (2) It is manage by a specific office that deals with all the technology transfer issues; (3) The institution
is recognized among business men and can easily make networking; and (4) It concentrates the human and
physical infrastructure needed to develop and exploit technology. All of this is especially important due to the
possibility of the creative cycle to occur. A Ph. D. student, more than anyone else, is an academic driven
individual, that has personal and professional characteristics oriented mostly through the technological
development and not necessarily –and rarely- has o wish to have the business managing skills. Since frontiers of
science are a very complex matter, and disruptive or incremental technology is an economic asset for our country,
the ITESM should encourage this kind of research.
In the other hand, there are important weaknesses perceived of this program by the students: (1) There is an under
designed system requirements that confuse the participants as they do not know the exact steps to take advantage
of the program; (2) there is a lack of clarity to inventors about their commitment to the research university
sponsoring the patents and the terms of intellectual property licensing; (3) there is a sense of detachment between
scientists drivers and program managers objectives. These weaknesses are dangerous because they do not allow
the growth of technological based companies and new stakeholders may feel discouraged because of the lack of
clarity in the rules of the program.
The challenges encountered to provide new means to take advantage of the market opportunities in Latin America
are shown in table 1.
? Design grounded rules for the entrepreneurial Ph. D. approaches, focusing in two tracks: exploiting the
commercial potential of an existing patent, and start-up a new venture.
? Develop institutional arrangements to trigger entrepreneurial activity as ventures club, websites, funding
sites, collaborative group builders, among others in a unique platform like an entrepreneurs clearing house.
? Reinforce the promotion of this programs and their academic credit.
? Guide the Ph. D. students to deal and understand the dynamics of their technical environment with no
markets are well established
? Create – or diffuse- the public–private partnerships to enhance entrepreneurial activities.
? Arrange a team to transforms the results of research and technological innovations into competition
advantages competitive business.
Table 1. Recommendations to the Entrepreneurship Programs
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
5
Conclusion
Following the entrepreneurial path might not seem an easy path, the satisfaction along with the success and
gained experience are valuable lessons that can be acquainted. This path has been increasingly been of interest by
younger generations, statistics showing that ”one third of new entrepreneurs are younger than age 30 and more
than 60% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they want to own their own businesses”(Kuratko, 2005). University students
then fall in and comprise this group, whose entrepreneurial activities and new ventures can foster the development
of Mexico´s economic development throughout the generation of innovations, stable markets and job positions.
The motivation to pursue entrepreneurship as a career option can be based on many personal motives; nonetheless
the creation of a new venture can fulfill one's personal debt to society and become the retribution from the
opportunities that society in general has given university students.
In the present study leaders of technology based future ventures presented their insights of the Doctorate Spin off
Program acknowledging that incubation programs are valuable in the sense that they provide infrastructural and
counseling advice otherwise scarce resources apart from it. These foundations provide even a greater support to
engineering doctorate students that commonly have great technical knowledge but less business and
entrepreneurial education. Nonetheless the areas of opportunities are still broad, in terms of incentives, financial
accessibility, networking, strategic team formation and communication. Addressing those opportunities will boost
the entrepreneurial ecosystem that is needed for entrepreneurs to successfully impact on Mexico's economic
development. We believe that students that have started on the entrepreneurship path have worth noticing
experiences and ideas that can enhance the entrepreneurial activities carried out at universities. In addition, the
answers to foster and enhance programs that move along entrepreneurship are likely to be found introspectively,
inquiring staff, students, and organizations currently involved on them.
Authorization and disclaimer
Authors authorize LACCEI to publish the papers in the conference proceedings. Neither LACCEI nor the editors
are responsible either for the content or for the implications of what is expressed in the paper.
References
Acs,Z. and L. Szerb (2009) “The Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEINDEX)”, Foundations and Trends in
Entrepreneurship,5(5):341–435
Dyer. G. (1994). Toward a theory of entrepreneurial careers. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. 19(2) 7-21.
Gartner, W.B., Bird, B.J ., & Starr, J .A. (1992). Acting as if: Differentiating entrepreneurial from organizational
behavior. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 16(3), 13–32.
Hansemark, O. (1998). The effects of a program on need for achievement and locus of control of reinforcement.
International Journal of Entrepreneurship Behaviour and Research, 4(1), 28-50.
Kram, K.E. (1983). Phases of the mentor relationship. Academy of Management Review, 26(4). 608-625.
Kuratko, D. F. (2005, september). The Emergence of Entrepreneurship Education: Developments, Trends, and
Challenges. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice , 577-597.
Lazear, E. (2004). Balanced Skills and Entrepreneurship. The American Economic Review , 208-211.
McMullan, W.E. & Long, W.A. (1987). Entrepreneurship education in the nineties. Journal of Business
Venturing, 2, 261–275.
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
6
Naudé, W., Szirmai, A., & Geodhuys, M. (2011, J anuary). Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Developing
Countries. Publicy Brief , pp. 1-7.
Peterman, N., & Kennedy, J . (2003). Enterprise Education: Influencing Students´Perceptions of Entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice , 129-144.
Raposo, M., & do Paço, A. (2011, march 1). Entrepreneurship Education: Relationship between education and
entrepreneurial activity. Psicothema , 23, pp. 453-457.
Schumpeter, J . A. (1947). ‘The creative response in economic history’, Journal of Economic History, vol. 7
(November), pp. 149–59.
Shapero. A. & Sokol, L. (1982). The social dimensions of entrepreneurship. In C.A. Kent, D.L. Sexton. & K.H.
Vesper (eds.). Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship. 72-90. Englewood Cliffs. NJ : Prentice Hall.
Authorization and Disclaimer
Authors authorize LACCEI to publish the paper in the conference proceedings. Neither LACCEI nor the editors are
responsible either for the content or for the implications of what is expressed in the paper.
doc_419667625.pdf
Information concerning technology based entrepreneurship challenges and opportunities to enhance a university.
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
1
Eleventh LACCEI Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology (LACCEI’2013)
International Competition of Student Posters and Paper, August 14 - 16, 2013 Cancun, Mexico.
Technology Based Entrepreneurship: Challenges and
Opportunities to enhance a University Spinoff
Adriana Torres
ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, [email protected]
Andrea Siller
ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, [email protected]
Faculty Mentor:
Nancy Aceves, Ph. D.
ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Technology based entrepreneurship is a key factor to foster economic development in a country. Universities are
institutions where knowledge is shared and accumulated, however its mission also comprises serving society with
that researches and inventions that arise. University students, especially the ones enrolled on a doctorate program,
can be the young innovative force that joins high technology research and development with the creation of new
ventures. The aim of this paper is to present the perceptions of the Ph.D students registered on a program created
by ITESM in order to foster and promote entrepreneurship, called Doctorate Spinoff Program, in terms of the
strengths and challenges they have encountered while following the entrepreneurial path. In addition
recommendations to enhance this program are made by the pioneers of this model.
Keywords: Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Spinoff, Technology-Based, Doctorate
El emprendimiento de base tecnológica es un factor clave para el desarrollo de un país. Las universidades son
instituciones donde el conocimiento es compartido y acumulado, sin embargo su misión a la vez comprende
servir a la sociedad con las investigaciones e invenciones que sean creadas. Los estudiantes universitarios, en
especial los que forman parte de un programa doctoral, pueden ser la fuerza joven de innovación que una la
investigación tecnológica con el desarrollo mediante la creación de nuevas empresas. El objetivo de este artículo
es presentar las percepciones de los estudiantes doctorales inscritos en un programa creado por el ITESM para
impulsar y promover el emprendimiento, llamado Programa de Células de Incubación, en términos de las
fortalezas y retos que se han encontrado al seguir el camino del emprendimiento. Además de presentar
recomendaciones para mejorar el programa según los pioneros participantes en este modelo.
Palabras clave: Ingeniería, Emprendimiento, Spinoff, Basado en Tecnología, Doctorado
Introduction
University students often seek more than just knowledge, either to pursue successfully their “dream job” or to
start a new business through entrepreneurial activities. To be able to apply the knowledge learned is possibly one
of the main reasons why students enroll in a university. The set of skills needed to transcend on either path are
different, but the university education and program focus are key to accomplish those goals. In the scope of this
article, only the entrepreneurial path sought by students is acknowledged.
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
2
Entrepreneurship has been an ongoing topic due to the benefits that the creation of new ventures provides to a
country´s economic development and the personal realization that provides to the founder. Mexico, as a
developing country, has been concerned with innovation, employment creation and economic growth, and it has
been stated that “rapid economic catch-up depends on countries´ entrepreneurs being able to absorb and creatively
adapt technological knowledge” (Naudé et al., 2011). On this regard, entrepreneurs are a key component to drive
successfully the economic development desired transforming the actual factor-driven stage of development of the
country characterized as Acz and Szerb (2009) stated by high rates of unemployment and small business, to the
innovation-driven stage of development where more than 30% of economic activity is based on innovation in
entrepreneurship.
Adding innovations in science and technology, make the creation of ventures even more desirable to university
students, who may seek to embark on the entrepreneurial path if the right motivation and skills needed are
developed on them. As Schumpeter (1947) observed, an entrepreneur is distinguished from an inventor because
an entrepreneur gets things done. Getting things done requires a special, rather than a specialist, set of skills,
distinguished by its generalist and broad-based nature (Lazear, 2004; Michelacci, 2003). Entrepreneurs need to
master not only their own technical specialization, but also a broad set of business management and leadership
skills in order to access and mobilize the resources necessary for launching and growing the new venture. In other
words, to successfully manage and orchestrate multiple domains of activity. In light of this, the education and the
motivation received are key factors that can foster entrepreneurship in students.
The link between education and entrepreneurship has been previously discussed leading to the recognition that
education is an important stimulus for entrepreneurship (Raposo & do Paço, 2011; Peterman & Kennedy, 2003;
Kuratko, 2005). Traditional education can be argued that focuses on skills to embark on a “seek-a-job” approach
leaving aside creativity and business formation as a career path. However the notion that entrepreneurship can be
taught, has caused to emerge the notion of entrepreneurship education. Several authors have recognized its main
characteristics as differentiation from business education addressing equivocal nature of business entry (Gartner,
Bird, & Starr, 1992), courses that focus on changing attitudes and motives (Hansemark, 1998) including the topics
of negotiation, leadership, new product development, creative thinking, and exposure to technological innovation
(McMullan & Long, 1987).
Dyer (1994) proposed that according to the theory of career socialisation proposes that social characteristics
influence one´s decision, including the exposure to educational experiences. Therefore the education programs
that provide entrepreneurial social experiences in form of significant responsibilities, practices to start one's own
business and to observe role models (Peterman & Kennedy, 2003) may influence a person's desire to pursue a
career congruent with his or her learning experiences (Kram, 1983; Shapero & Sokol, 1982). Hence, enterprise
educational experiences could be expected to influence the perceived desirability of starting a business. It is
evident then, that universities and the high level education that they provide play a key role in the entrepreneurial
path that their students may undertake. In addition the literature abounds with work that emphasizes the
importance of university research as one of the drivers of high-technology-based economic development and an
essential ingredient of a successful innovation system.
New knowledge is characterized by greater uncertainty and asymmetry than other economic goods (Acs and
Varga, 2005), therefore entrepreneurship plays an important role in facilitating the exploitation of knowledge
spillovers which occur at universities. ITESM, as one of the most recognized universities in Latin America has
incorporated to its mission for 2015: to drive the development of new businesses through an entrepreneurial
culture. In junction of classes, there are programs that encourage students to pursue the entrepreneurial path like
“Spheres of Innovation”, “Accelerator and Venture Incubators” and the “Incubation Cells Program for the
doctoral students”. This last option, the Incubation Cells Program for the doctoral students draws special attention
to us, since Ph.D students by means of their high level research following an entrepreneurial path can develop
high-tech ventures that strengthen our regional economy. However communication and continuous involvement
of students are not always present, "there is a lack of information to students about the services offered by the
university to support entrepreneurship, many students do not know that there is a business incubator and others do
not know exactly what services it offers. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to address an opportunity to bridge that
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
3
gap and further motivate students through the experiences of former participants, inquiring about the positive
impact and the challenges these leaders have experienced. And at the same time, provide, useful guidelines about
feelings and expectations of graduate students to embrace entrepreneurship as a way of living.
Doctorate Spinoff background
In Mexico, by 2013 there are registered more than 500 incubators with a presence in over 190 cities. However,
only 21 are considered to foster high-tech innovations. The implications of this fact are huge, on one hand the
opportunities for high-tech ventures to develop is undermined and reinforces the challenge that entrepreneurs have
when choosing to build up a company from a newly discovered high technology invention. As well, this gives a
distinctive feature to the few incubators that are dedicated to high-tech in a developing economy, as ours.
It is then relevant that one of those incubators is part of the program of Doctoral Spinoffs at ITESM in Monterrey,
which currently gives the opportunity to 380 students from seven doctoral programs to create a new ventures
(spinoffs) based on their research along their doctoral degree. A university spinoff is a new firm created to exploit
commercially some knowledge, technology or research results developed within a university. The program was
founded on 2006, to enhance the scientific work of Ph.D students and encourage projects that impact positively on
solving urgent problems or market needs, as well as to fulfill the commitment to scientific and technological
development of the university. As students enroll on the program, the traditional doctoral study evolves into a
joint program where basic research, article publication and dissertation are one part. Whereas the complementary
one is the definition of an incubation project followed by the incubation of a new venture based on the results of
their Ph.D research. The Doctorate Spinoff program offers the participants the support of the university in terms
of infrastructure as access to laboratories as office space; and human capital as courses and advice from experts on
legal, fiscal administrative and patenting issues and a personalized business counselor.
Research about the doctorate spin off program opinions are fundamental to create a robust entrepreneurship
ecosystem in which every student has the opportunity to start up a new venture and the set of skills and resources
needed to succeed.
Methodology
The research questions
To gain insight about the Doctorate Spinoff Program and its role in fostering technology based ventures from the
perspective of students, a series of interviews were conducted to the actual students enrolled in this program (26)
to address the following research objectives: (1) To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the institutional
effort to enhance technology-based entrepreneurship among Ph. D. students; and (2) to envision new means to
take advantage of the market opportunities in Latin America and to shed new light on key issues of
entrepreneurship development.
The survey
The design of the interview was focused on the student’s perception of the program in order to understand the
actual position of the spinoff, the challenges that the leaders have faced along the entrepreneurial path, the key
factors that the program has offered and finally the recommendations that the students perceive could strengthen
the program. The survey consisted of three main parts, each section with a specific goal. The first section was
constituted by five questions, and intended to inquire about the history that has driven the incubated project to its
actual position in terms of potential clients, the product costs, the high proposition value of the new venture and
the strategic alliances. The second one comprised by three questions regarding the entrepreneurial ecosystem
around their spinoff nurtured by the university program, including favorable conditions as well as difficulties and
their opinion/knowledge of intellectual property policies. Finally in the last section it was asked about the
contribution to the construction of university support future agendas and the recommendations to the institution.
The sample
11
th
Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
4
At the moment, there are twenty six registered projects; three of those are already constituted as start-up
companies. Every project was invited to participate, but the final sample consisted on half of the total projects
involved in the program. It comprised students from all kinds of disciplines and with different time involved in
the program, thus the study had a broad sample of students with different motivation and technical background.
The method
Each interview took about 40 minutes and all of them were made in February 2013 by the authors. They were
recorded on audiotape and then listened carefully to extract the key elements to answer the research questions. In
some cases, it was not allowed the audiotape, but we could manage to take rush notes of the main answers. J ust
one interview was made by email.
Results
The results of this research show the perceptions of the doctorate students regarding the strengths and weaknesses
of the institutional effort to enhance technology-based entrepreneurship. The key internal factors of the Doctoral
Spinoff Program are: (1) It is a institutional and declare program that has a meaningful space on the mission
statement; (2) It is manage by a specific office that deals with all the technology transfer issues; (3) The institution
is recognized among business men and can easily make networking; and (4) It concentrates the human and
physical infrastructure needed to develop and exploit technology. All of this is especially important due to the
possibility of the creative cycle to occur. A Ph. D. student, more than anyone else, is an academic driven
individual, that has personal and professional characteristics oriented mostly through the technological
development and not necessarily –and rarely- has o wish to have the business managing skills. Since frontiers of
science are a very complex matter, and disruptive or incremental technology is an economic asset for our country,
the ITESM should encourage this kind of research.
In the other hand, there are important weaknesses perceived of this program by the students: (1) There is an under
designed system requirements that confuse the participants as they do not know the exact steps to take advantage
of the program; (2) there is a lack of clarity to inventors about their commitment to the research university
sponsoring the patents and the terms of intellectual property licensing; (3) there is a sense of detachment between
scientists drivers and program managers objectives. These weaknesses are dangerous because they do not allow
the growth of technological based companies and new stakeholders may feel discouraged because of the lack of
clarity in the rules of the program.
The challenges encountered to provide new means to take advantage of the market opportunities in Latin America
are shown in table 1.
? Design grounded rules for the entrepreneurial Ph. D. approaches, focusing in two tracks: exploiting the
commercial potential of an existing patent, and start-up a new venture.
? Develop institutional arrangements to trigger entrepreneurial activity as ventures club, websites, funding
sites, collaborative group builders, among others in a unique platform like an entrepreneurs clearing house.
? Reinforce the promotion of this programs and their academic credit.
? Guide the Ph. D. students to deal and understand the dynamics of their technical environment with no
markets are well established
? Create – or diffuse- the public–private partnerships to enhance entrepreneurial activities.
? Arrange a team to transforms the results of research and technological innovations into competition
advantages competitive business.
Table 1. Recommendations to the Entrepreneurship Programs
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Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Cancun, Mexico August 14-16, 2013
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Conclusion
Following the entrepreneurial path might not seem an easy path, the satisfaction along with the success and
gained experience are valuable lessons that can be acquainted. This path has been increasingly been of interest by
younger generations, statistics showing that ”one third of new entrepreneurs are younger than age 30 and more
than 60% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they want to own their own businesses”(Kuratko, 2005). University students
then fall in and comprise this group, whose entrepreneurial activities and new ventures can foster the development
of Mexico´s economic development throughout the generation of innovations, stable markets and job positions.
The motivation to pursue entrepreneurship as a career option can be based on many personal motives; nonetheless
the creation of a new venture can fulfill one's personal debt to society and become the retribution from the
opportunities that society in general has given university students.
In the present study leaders of technology based future ventures presented their insights of the Doctorate Spin off
Program acknowledging that incubation programs are valuable in the sense that they provide infrastructural and
counseling advice otherwise scarce resources apart from it. These foundations provide even a greater support to
engineering doctorate students that commonly have great technical knowledge but less business and
entrepreneurial education. Nonetheless the areas of opportunities are still broad, in terms of incentives, financial
accessibility, networking, strategic team formation and communication. Addressing those opportunities will boost
the entrepreneurial ecosystem that is needed for entrepreneurs to successfully impact on Mexico's economic
development. We believe that students that have started on the entrepreneurship path have worth noticing
experiences and ideas that can enhance the entrepreneurial activities carried out at universities. In addition, the
answers to foster and enhance programs that move along entrepreneurship are likely to be found introspectively,
inquiring staff, students, and organizations currently involved on them.
Authorization and disclaimer
Authors authorize LACCEI to publish the papers in the conference proceedings. Neither LACCEI nor the editors
are responsible either for the content or for the implications of what is expressed in the paper.
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Authorization and Disclaimer
Authors authorize LACCEI to publish the paper in the conference proceedings. Neither LACCEI nor the editors are
responsible either for the content or for the implications of what is expressed in the paper.
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