Knowledge transfer at universities: can technology transfer offices, business incubators and science and technology parks in Poland provide good support services?

It has been widely recognised that technology transfer offices (TTOs), business incubators (BIs) and science & technology parks (STPs) – operating as university units – are a very important part of the commercialisation process of knowledge at universities. However results which are obtained through support services they provide doesn’t always satisfy expectations. Therefore the paper analyses challenges and barriers faced by TTOs, BIs and STPs, which affect results from provided services. The analysis is based on the square-shaped framework with mutually related factors distinguished, encompassing legal and organizational context of knowledge commercialization at public universities. The results suggest that both legal and environmental context as well as social relationships affect strongly results of university dependent TTOs, BIs and STPs.