8-04-2026

Learn about the impact of collaboration between universities and industry in the creation of spin-offs, an article written by Ángela Castro

At Reddi, we are proud to have top talent! Ángela Castro, Master in Industrial Engineering with a specialization in technology and knowledge management and transfer, has published an article in Heliyon, one of the world’s highest-impact journals (Q1). This article examines the importance of collaboration between universities and industry as a key factor in the creation of university spin-offs. A remarkable achievement that reflects the commitment and excellence of our professionals at Reddi!

This study has revealed that collaboration between universities and industries is key to unleashing a wave of innovation and business growth. Researchers analyzed data from 108 universities and found compelling evidence that these partnerships play a crucial role in the creation of technology companies, known as spin-offs, within the university setting.

This transfer of knowledge for the development of the industry is of great importance thanks to its enormous potential to significantly impact the country’s economic development.

What is a spin-off?
In a business context, a spin-off refers to a new company that separates or “spins off” from an existing entity, typically a university, parent company, or research organization.
This new, independent entity, known as a spin-off, is created to develop and market products, technologies, or services derived from the intellectual or technological assets of the parent organization.
In the academic sphere, spin-offs often arise from research and technological developments conducted within the institution. A group of researchers or entrepreneurs decides to create a separate company to bring these discoveries to market and leverage their commercial potential.
In short, a spin-off represents a strategy to capitalize on and commercialize the research, innovation, or intellectual assets of an existing entity by creating a new, independently operating company to bring these advancements to market. These new companies often seek to innovate and generate value in specific industries by leveraging the knowledge and technology acquired from the parent entity.

Using statistical methods, researchers empirically examine the impact of university-business collaborations on spin-off creation from two perspectives: the number of university collaborations with different companies and the number of previous collaborations between the same university-business dyad; supporting the hypothesis that greater university interaction with different industries, especially previous collaborations, increases the probability of creating a spin-off.

These collaborations not only benefit companies by providing access to knowledge and talent, but also play a vital role in the continued growth of spin-offs in the post-launch stages. The study’s findings highlight the importance of bridging the gap between academic research and practical applications, paving the way for the development of groundbreaking new products and technologies.

The knowledge developed by our project manager has a positive impact on the knowledge transfer scenario, as it closes a bibliographic gap in research that considers the different impacts derived from the interaction between universities and the different productive actors present in society. 

These results suggest that universities and companies should take these findings into account when formulating their strategies or policies for technology transfer and innovation management, fostering university-industry collaboration.

At Reddi Colombia, we are proud to have a professional with a critical and profound vision of the innovation ecosystem. For us, it is important to highlight the capabilities of our team, because thanks to them we can commit to the technological transformation and innovation of our country. 

 Get ready for a new era of collaboration and business discoveries!