Spin-off creation in a national research institution: Technological and industrial implications

The present work takes into account the creation of Spin-off companies in CNR, Italian National Research Council, up to 2012. The aim is to analyze the relations of Spin-offs with CNR, their technological sector and their industrial performance. Several types of data are exploited and analyzed. Studied topics encompass relations with CNR Departments, geographical distribution, local research and industrial context. The main analysis relies on budgetary and industrial sector data, in order to measure the performance of CNR Spin-offs. Their performance is also compared with suitable benchmarks of firms and academic Spin-offs. The evolution of the context is also considered in the study. The study of the activity of CNR in fostering the creation of knowledge-intensive firms offers an insight on the role of National Research Institutions, and in particular of the specific case.