Strengthening university technology transfer through open innovation ecosystems: Evidence from Romanian universities

Technology transfer (TT) has become a strategic component of Open Innovation ecosystems and an essential mechanism through which universities contribute to economic development, knowledge valorisation, and societal impact. Within the entrepreneurial university paradigm, Technology Transfer Centres (TTCs) play a critical role in facilitating knowledge flows between academia, industry, government, and innovation stakeholders. Despite increasing policy attention toward innovation and research commercialization, Romanian universities continue to face significant challenges in developing effective TT mechanisms and sustainable academic entrepreneurship ecosystems. This study explores the perspectives of university Technology Transfer Centre representatives regarding the main barriers, development opportunities, and best practices associated with technology transfer and academic spin-offs in Romanian higher education institutions. The empirical investigation is based on 17 semi-structured interviews conducted between August and November 2025 with TTC representatives from 13 Romanian universities actively involved in research, innovation, and technology transfer activities. The findings reveal four interconnected dimensions shaping TT performance: entrepreneurial culture, governance and regulatory frameworks, financial support mechanisms, and ecosystem connectivity. The most significant barriers identified include weak university–industry collaboration, insufficient funding for technology maturation activities, excessive bureaucracy, and limited researcher engagement in entrepreneurial initiatives. At the same time, respondents emphasized the importance of entrepreneurial education, professionalization of TTC teams, proof-of-concept funding schemes, and stronger integration into regional innovation ecosystems. Building on the Open Innovation perspective, the study proposes a conceptual framework that positions TTCs as intermediary actors facilitating knowledge valorisation and collaboration within university innovation ecosystems. The findings contribute to the literature on entrepreneurial universities and technology transfer by providing empirical evidence from an emerging innovation system and by highlighting institutional mechanisms that can strengthen university-based innovation and academic entrepreneurship.