From "transplant with the soil" toward the establishment of the innovation ecosystem: A case study of a leading high-tech company in China

Restricted by several institutional and structural constraints, the commercialization of university-based technology is inefficient in China. The present exploratory case study focused on Nuctech, a university spin-off high-tech company. The researchers observed, studied and analyzed the processes of the Nuctech's business development of the company, the process of the university-based technology transfer, and the establishment of Nuctech's innovation ecosystem. Our study fills in current research gaps by analyzing the "transplant with the soil"(TPS) mechanism in a systematical approach. We summarized the key features, the antecedents, and consequences of TPS mechanism, as well as its roles in transferring university-based technology and establishing a company's innovation ecosystem. By studying the case in the China context, the present research suggests that TPS mechanism may be particularly relevant and necessary when advanced cross- disciplinary complex technology need to be transferred, when the industry have only limited resources and poor absorptive capacities, when institutional and structural hindrances exist, and when university-industry relationship needs to be facilitated and strengthened toward the establishment of an innovation ecosystem.