The 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, which enabled
universities to claim title to inventions and to license those inventions to
the private sector, is often highlighted as the quintessential example of
policies promoting the commercialization of academic knowledge, including technology transfers, university-industry research collaborations, and industry
funding for university research.
Proponents of
private–public research collaborations claim they will lead to more efficient
knowledge and technology transfers which, in turn, will lead to higher social
value. Skeptics counter
that universities and industries have distinct research cultures and that the
commercialization of university science threatens these distinct cultures.
