Gloria Puliga

The interest about Research Spin-Offs (RSOs) has constantly increased since the last fifteen years and their number is augmenting all over Europe. RSOs are also expected to not escape from the consequences of the digital revolution. But the potential impact of digital technologies on academic entrepreneurship is actually an under-researched field of analysis. Accordingly, the aim of this contribution is to bridge the gap in the intersection between Digital RSOs and the entrepreneurial university, by answering to the following research question: How do Digital RSOs work within the entrepreneurial university and what are the critical factors characterizing them? And, consequently, is there a need for further research specifically dedicated to the role of the entrepreneurial university towards RSOs in the digital age? To answer to this research question, we leverage on a multiple case study analysis of four Digital RSOs from the Polytechnic of Milan (Italy) and on a set of interviews with experts in the subject.