Unpacking Underlying Mechanisms of Knowledge Spillover

This study specifies the underlying mechanisms of knowledge spillovers as they relate to the emergence of new organizations. In particular, we examine that the process of new firm formation is influenced by patent citation patterns and moderated by the establishment of research centers, a social structure where diverse social actors are involved in the development of new knowledge. As such, the entry rate of new firms based on the new knowledge will increase. In this study, we highlight the role of research centers, based in research universities, by investigating how research centers can govern knowledge flow between academic communities and industrial communities. This will expand our knowledge on knowledge spillover, attesting that when new scientific and subsequent technological breakthroughs unfold, such new technology can be commercialized by intermediary organizations between scientists and engineers (i.e. research centers). This idea is tested in the context of nano-science and nanotechnology in the U.S. between 1959 and 2005. And the further discussions on the role of research centers and universities are drawn.