US cleantech startups that collaborate with government research institutions are more successful than their competitors in both patents and investor acquisition. This is shown by a study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Maryland, and the University of Cambridge. Such collaborations could be particularly important given the lengthy development processes of "green" technologies—including in Germany.
In the United States, the government operates numerous national research institutions. Seventeen institutes, such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), operate under the direction of the Department of Energy alone. However, the extent to which these institutes should engage in applied research, especially in cooperation with companies, and in technology transfer is controversial in the public debate.
Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Maryland, and the University of Cambridge therefore examined the activities of approximately 650 cleantech startups between 2008 and 2012—companies offering products or services using "clean" technologies. These include renewable energy and recycling, for example. The researchers focused on patents and financing, which are considered indicators of innovation and business success in young companies.
Investor funds increased by 150 percent in one year
The study shows that startups were able to increase their patent activity by an average of 73 percent when they collaborated with government institutions. This figure refers to individual collaborations. When startups licensed a technology developed by a government institution, they were able to increase the amount of investor funding they received by more than 150 percent in the following year. This makes them more than twice as successful in securing funding as other startups. Some of the most successful alliances worked outside of major technology centers like Silicon Valley.
The researchers assume that public-private partnerships are particularly valuable in the cleantech sector, not least in the energy sector. Because technology development takes a long time, companies face more difficult starting conditions than, for example, in the IT sector. Long-term public institutions could offset this disadvantage.
