How Relevant is University-Based Scientific Research to Private High-Technology Firms? A United States–Japan Comparison

Abstract

This cross-national study explores the relative contributions of academic and corporate research to subsequent industrial R&D activities within one industry. Japanese university research emerged as less influential than Japanese corporate research. The difference between the relevance of U.S. university and U.S. corporate research was only marginally significant. In both countries, university research appeared to contribute most to domestic firms. These findings accentuate the role that national institutional structures play in influencing a country's university research activity.