Title: Analysis of the researcher's motivators to collaborate with firms as drivers of the triple helix dynamics

Authors: Nuria Calvo; Sara Fernández-López; David Rodeiro-Pazos; María Jesús Rodríguez-Gulías

Addresses: Department of Business, Campus de Elviña, Universidade da Coruña, s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Galicia, Spain ' Department of Finance and Accounting, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avda. do Burgo, s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain ' Department of Finance and Accounting, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avda. do Burgo, s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain ' Department of Business, Campus de Elviña, Universidade da Coruña, s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Abstract: This paper advances the study of the researcher's motivators to collaborate with firms from a triple helix perspective. Based on a conceptual framework that relates the agency theory assumptions with those variables that literature considers as motivators of the researchers and firms to collaborate, we worked with a sample of 420 research groups of eight regions of Spain, France and Portugal. First, we studied the determinants of the researchers' interest to collaborate and then, among those researchers who were previously interested, we studied if the determinants of the final engagement in private contracts of science commercialisation were the same than the determinants of the researchers' previous interest. Results suggest that the field of science is important in signalling those research groups more interested in collaborating, the research budget is a good motivator of the interest and final engagement of the researchers, previous experience in collaboration increases the future interest of researchers and country also matters.

Keywords: researcher's motivators; triple helix; research groups; university-industry collaboration; agency theory; Spain; France; Portugal; science commercialisation; research budget; scientific quality; field of science.

DOI: 10.1504/GBER.2019.099389

Global Business and Economics Review, 2019 Vol.21 No.3/4, pp.304 - 329

Received: 22 Jul 2017
Accepted: 19 Nov 2017
Published online: 01 May 2019 *

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