A thematic review of 45 years of The Journal of Technology Transfer

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the thematic evolution of The Journal of Technology Transfer over 45 years. Over this period, there have been significant changes to the practice and organization of technology transfer. There also has been a significant growth in scholarship attention from different disciplinary areas on different aspects of technology transfer from macro, meso, and micro perspectives. We take a bibliometric approach to undertake an analysis to identify key phases and themes. We identified five distinct phases, namely foundational, technology transfer and university industry collaboration, technology transfer and entrepreneurial dynamics, academic entrepreneurship and sustainable technology transfer. Furthermore, based on this analysis, we reflect on key drivers that will influence and shape future research avenues.