This paper examines the role of Lawrence Livermore National (LLNL), a major US Department of Energy nuclear weapons research facility, in spawning "spin-off" firms. We provide some of the most comprehensive estimates of the number of spin-off firms associated with LLNL and find that this research facility appears to be at least as important a source of spin-off firms as are three defence-oriented laboratories in New Mexico with a combined budget that is substantially larger than that of LLNL. Our survey of these LLNL "spin-off" firms suggests that fewer than one-quarter of them are directly engaged in the commercialisation of LLNL-developed technologies, a finding that is broadly consistent with the results of other studies. Finally, our interviews with spin-off founders suggest that management and other policy-related impediments to the formation of "spin-off" firms reduce the contribution of these firms to the commercialisation of LLNL-developed technologies.
['David C. Mowery', 'Arvids A. Ziedonis']
The commercialisation of national laboratory technology through the formation of "spin-off" firms: evidence from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory