Matthias Hügel, Philip Doerr, Martin Kalthaus

• Transferring knowledge and technology from academia to industry is usually understood as a process. While previous research focuses on phenomena along the process and its outcomes, the starting point of the process—the initiation of a transfer activity—remains unstudied. We conceptualize this initiation as a simultaneous recognition of a transfer opportunity and the choice of a transfer channel and provide first empirical insights into the initiation of the transfer process. We use survey data from 1149 scientists from the German state of Thuringia and their activities in science–industry collaboration, intellectual property rights, and spin-off creation. We employ seemingly unrelated regressions to account for selection and multiple channel choices in our econometric approach. Our results show a positive relationship between scientists’ different kinds of prior knowledge and the probability of recognizing a transfer opportunity. Contrary to our expectations, scientific impact reduces the likelihood of recognizing a transfer opportunity. For the choice of the transfer channel, the results show a positive relationship between choosing the spin-off channel and risk willingness, as well as basic research. Applied research increases the likelihood of choosing intellectual property rights as a channel. Furthermore, role models are positively associated with these two channels.