| dc.description.abstract | Although academic entrepreneurship is increasingly catching the attention of scholars, the relationship between technology transfer offices (TTOs) and academic spin-off companies (ASOs) is relatively unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how TTOs are working as intermediaries and helping the ASOs acquire essential resources. The theoretical framework used was based on resource-dependence theory, resource based view and theory on innovation intermediaries. There are eventually four different types of essential resources; human, social, financial and technological resources. For an ASO there are mainly three ways to acquire these resources: the ASO acquire the resources directly from its surroundings, the ASO acquire the resources directly from the TTO, finally the TTO can work as an innovation intermediary to help the ASOs acquire these resources. The theoretical framework also propose four roles that can be taken by the TTO as an innovation intermediary: advisor, bridge, broker and community builder. An exploratory case study was carried out in order to examine how resource acquisition is done by ASOs currently in partnership with TTOs and how TTOs is helping this process. The analysis map how resources are acquired and how the TTO is helping this process. In addition to the roles of advisor, bridge, broker and community builder, a fifth role that could be taken on by the TTO as an innovation intermediary was identified, namely the role of moderator. It was also found that the ASOs ability to attract resources of their own was found to be highly dependent on the experience, skills and capabilities of their entrepreneurial team. Finally, to be able to offer resources to their ASOs, TTO should build their own resource base. The process of the ASOs acquiring resources from the TTO is not similar to resource flows between other companies, as TTOs will strive to make independent companies. | eng |