Science commercialisation: A turn to practice

Abstract

Science commercialization drives societal innovation through the real-world application of scientific discoveries. However, despite the opportunity it presents, and growing scholarly focus on the subject, there remains a need for a deeper understanding of the micro-level dynamics that underlie this complex phenomenon. In this dissertation, I address this need through an 18-month ethnographic study of science commercialization in a nanotechnology research laboratory and practice-based theorizing of the findings. First, I review the literature on academic entrepreneurship to reveal conceptual deficits that are, in turn, resolved through a novel, practice-based conceptualization of science commercialization that is generative for future research. Second, I reveal the micro-level of science commercialization through an ethnographic study and generate a practice-based process model, with which I propose a new understanding of science commercialization challenges and theorize how inventors navigate these challenges. Third, I leverage micro-level and multimodal data from the ethnographic study to reveal how entrepreneurial strategy is formed in science commercialization, and how sociomaterial elements shape this strategy formation process. In this dissertation, I extend theoretical understanding of science commercialization with a new perspective that is rich with potential for future research. Importantly, I also deliver insights that are actionable for inventors and academic institutions to truly create impact from their research and drive innovation for society.