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Science and Technology Management and Innovation Management

How Technology Transfer Professionals Facilitate the Integration  of Innovation and Industrial Chains: Mechanisms and Enabling  Conditions 

Xu Shengxuan, Yang Zhong

(Business School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China)

Abstract: Integrating innovation and industrial chains requires research results to be tested, adapted to production, and assessed in use. Participants differ in resources, schedules, and standards. Existing research describes the roles and competencies of technology transfer professionals, but explains less clearly how their work helps connect research with industry. This article  asks where in the commercialization process they are most relevant, how they address recurring  barriers, and what enables them to do so. The study develops a theoretical framework drawing on  innovation intermediation, boundary spanning, resource orchestration, and collaborative governance. It begins by identifying three barriers to integration: resources are dispersed across organizations; organizational boundaries impede the exchange of knowledge and the coordination of  tasks; and participants differ over expected returns, responsibilities, and risks. It then links professional activities to changes in resource use, cross-organizational work, and cooperation. The  main contribution of technology transfer professionals lies between late-stage applied research  and early commercialization, particularly during proof of concept, pilot-scale development, and  early market validation. For projects that begin with a research result, they help identify applications, organize validation, and involve firms or investors in further development. For projects that  begin with a firm's need, they clarify operating conditions and performance requirements, formulate a research task, and identify researchers or existing solutions. Both routes require coordination of specialist assessment, legal and intellectual property services, transactions, and followup work. These actions can support integration through three mechanisms. Resource integration  brings expertise, equipment, capital, and application settings into a project at appropriate stages. Boundary bridging helps researchers, engineers, and users define problems together and exchange feedback. Interest coordination helps participants agree on decision rights, returns, risk  sharing, and dispute procedures. Relevant experts and organizations retain responsibility for  technical, legal, investment, and operating decisions. The framework connects professional activities with the processes through which research and industry may become more closely integrated. Effective action depends on practical expertise and team-based services, stable platforms and cross-boundary networks, and clear incentives, authorization, and risk-governance  rules. Evaluation should consider validation quality, timely resources, knowledge exchange, and  the continuity of cooperation alongside completed transactions. The article offers a theoretical explanation rather than an empirical test. Future research can compare project records across organizations, industries, and regions to establish when these mechanisms arise and whether they improve commercialization outcomes. 

Key words: technology transfer professionals; innovation chain; industrial chain; transformation of scientific and technological achievements; mechanisms; resource integration; boundary  bridging; interest coordination