1. Mapping impacts of
social and
organizational
research
Anne Mesny – HEC Montréal
Atelier sur le rôle des BLEU dans le transfert de
l’innovation sociale – 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal

2. Academic knowledge/ research results in
social and organization sciences
 Multiple types of research products:
non-patentable knowledge
 Large portion of ‘non-esoteric’
knowledge;
 Conceptual uses (rather than
instrumental only);
 Multiple potential ‘users’: policy-
makers; economic
actors, communities, lay people;
 Collaborative research between
researcher and ‘subjects' / users.
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 2

3. Pathways of knowledge mobilization/ transfer
Tech transfer:
Patents
Licencing Teaching
Spin-offs Publications (academic
and non academic)
Contract Collaborative research
research Networking activities
Consulting Engaged scholarship
Executive (unpaid academic
development consulting, etc.)
Commercial Non commercial
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 3

4. Patenting & licensing activities
1. “Only a small fraction of the
innovative knowledge that is
transferred out of universities;
2. Do not reflect directly the broader
social or economic value stemming
from university research;
3. May impede rather than facilitate
the dissemination of university
technological knowledge.”
(Bercovitz & James, 2009, p. 8)
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 4

5. Measuring impacts: wrong trade-off
Comprehensiveness
Truthfulness
Tractability
Quantification
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 5

6. Measuring impacts : 3 issues
(D. Baker, CASRAI)
1. Capturing impacts (direct
and derived;
capacity, productivity &
societal)
2. Linking impact to people
and activity
3. Attributing impact to
investment
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 6

7. Measuring impacts: directions
Non-patenting / non-licensing
activities;
Non commercial knowledge transfer;
Qualitative benefits.
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 7

8. New directions in the valuation of
university entrepreneurship
(Bercovitz & James, 2009, pp. 16-18)
1. Expand the transfer mechanisms
tracked;
2. Move beyond simple counts to
clarify links;
3. Extend the time periods for
which the transfer activities are
followed;
4. Promote the estimation and/or
measurement of social value.
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 8

9. Avenues for TTOs
1. Clarify how tech transfer fits in ‘the big
picture’ of knowledge mobilization;
2. Take distance from the ‘hard core’
view of ‘university entrepreneurship’;
3. Expose/ trace indirect impacts of
licencing activities on other transfer
mechanisms (commercial and non-
commercial);
4. Explore alternative forms of tech
transfer (open source channels, etc.).
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 9

10. Questions, comments...
Thank you!
http://expertise.hec.ca/usage/
A. Mesny – USAGE - 24 février 2012 – HEC Montréal 10