Elicia Maine - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Elicia Maine

The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has long deemphasized mechanistic reasoning and pathophysiological ... more Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has long deemphasized mechanistic reasoning and pathophysiological rationale in assessing the effectiveness of interventions. The EBM+ movement has challenged this stance, arguing that evidence of mechanisms and comparative studies should both be seen as necessary and complementary. Advocates of EBM+ provide a combination of theoretical arguments and examples of mechanistic reasoning in medical research. However, EBM+ proponents have not provided recent examples of how downplaying mechanistic reasoning resulted in worse medical results than would have occurred otherwise. Such examples are necessary to make the case that EBM+ responds to a problem in clinical practice that urgently demands a solution. In light of this, we examine the failed rollout of efavirenz as a first-line HIV treatment in Zimbabwe as evidence of the importance of mechanistic reasoning in improving clinical practice and public health policy decisions. We suggest that this case is ana...

International Journal of Technology Management

Science-based university spin-offs face considerable technology and market uncertainty over exten... more Science-based university spin-offs face considerable technology and market uncertainty over extended periods of time, increasing the challenges of commercialisation. Scientist-entrepreneurs can play formative roles in commercialising lab-based scientific inventions through the formation of well-endowed university spin-offs. Through case study analysis of three science-based university spin-offs within a biotechnology innovation ecosystem, we unpack the impact of pre-formation intangible assets of academic scientists (research excellence, patenting, and international networks) and their entrepreneurial capabilities on spin-off performance. We find evidence that the pre-formation entrepreneurial capabilities of academic scientists can endow science-based university spin-offs by leveraging the scientists' pre-formation intangible assets. A theory-driven model depicting the role of pre-formation intangible assets and entrepreneurial capabilities in endowing science-based university spin-offs is developed. Recommendations are provided for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to more effectively commercialise high potential inventions in the university lab through the development and deployment of pre-formation intangible assets and entrepreneurial capabilities.

Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology

There are over 50 000 materials available to designers and engineers. This methodology is meant t... more There are over 50 000 materials available to designers and engineers. This methodology is meant to help the inventors of new materials select the most promising applications for the new material, by matching the technology to viable market opportunities. Technology – market matching is a significant challenge for advanced materials ventures. This methodology can steer further R&D, guide commercialization decisions, and inform discussions with potential alliance partners.

Many risks stand in the way of introducing a new material into the market place- some technical, ... more Many risks stand in the way of introducing a new material into the market place- some technical, some production related, some market oriented and some financial. Over the past 50 years, because of these risks, new material innovations have been commercialised almost exclusively by large corporations, and their development has had a long gestation period. If the risks can be estimated, quantified and managed at an early stage, and the risk-return is sufficiently financially attractive, then the gestation time of a new materials innovation is likely to be shortened. Tools exist for investigating aspects of these risks, but they were not originally developed with materials innovations in mind, nor have they been integrated into a coherent and accessible methodology which combines powerful predictive software tools with business strategy. For these reasons, the investment methodology for materials (IMM) has been introduced and developed in this thesis. IMM is intended to help identify ...

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2012

This paper integrates the value creation, new venture performance, and business model literatures... more This paper integrates the value creation, new venture performance, and business model literatures with that on the commercialization environment of advanced materials ventures to define and make operational the functions of a business model most relevant to emerging nanotechnology ventures. Responding to calls for new venture performance studies within carefully limited domains and for studies of the strategies of growth oriented ventures, empirical evidence is presented through case studies of 4 nanotechnology ventures, selected as examples of high and low value creation. Value creation recommendations emerge from a cross case comparison of business model functions and business model evolution processes.

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015

Commercializing science is not for the faint of heart. The high uncertainty, long timelines, and ... more Commercializing science is not for the faint of heart. The high uncertainty, long timelines, and large the amounts of capital required can prevent or delay commercialization of potentially high impact inventions in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and other scientific domains (Pisano, 2010; Maine, 2013). Many ideas languish not due to lack of scientific merit, but due to commercialization challenges in translating the scientific discoveries into products on the market. Strategies, frameworks and organizational innovations to aid in commercializing science - and thus creating economic and social value – are explored in this symposium. Biomedical Innovation: Commercialization Strategies for Scientist-Entrepreneurs Presenter: Varkey Jon Thomas; Simon Fraser U. Resilient Incubator Business Models in the Cambridge Cluster Presenter: Sarah Lubik; U. Cambridge Commercializing University Science by Developing "Eco-Value Propositions" Presenter: Jeremy K Hall; Simon Fraser U. Organizing for Radical Generic Innovatio...

Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering, 2018

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attractive mechanical and thermal properties (illustrated her... more Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attractive mechanical and thermal properties (illustrated here with material property charts) but they can be expensive. When does it make sense to use them? This chapter examines ways to identify applications for which MMCs are well suited, meaning that their performance is seen to have sufficient value to justify their cost. There are three steps: and analysis of performance, an estimate of cost, and an examination of the trade-off between the two involving a metric of value. The performance analysis leads to a set of material indices (metrics of excellence) that can be plotted onto the material property charts, enabling material selection. The method is illustrated by case-studies, using a contemporary compilation of data for the mechanical and thermal properties of MMCs.

Nature materials, Apr 26, 2016

Long commercialization times, high capital costs and sustained uncertainty deter investment in in... more Long commercialization times, high capital costs and sustained uncertainty deter investment in innovation for advanced materials. With appropriate strategies, technology and market uncertainties can be reduced, and the commercialization of advanced materials accelerated.

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015

In this paper we explore an academic entrepreneur’s patent portfolio to explore what insights can... more In this paper we explore an academic entrepreneur’s patent portfolio to explore what insights can be gained via patent metrics when analyzing academic patents in search of indicators of patent breadth. In particular, we explore differences in patent breadth metrics by comparing two sub-gropus of patents: academic patents versus those with commercial or corporate interests, and parent patents versus their children within a given family. We find that some metrics, when individually taken at face value, tell a conflicted story, and that they should be interpreted with caution. Collectively, the metrics tell an interesting story in that they support an argument that academic patents are broader than commercial patents. Analysis of children patents indicate that academic parent patents are enhanced in more specific areas by their children patents and that commercial parent patents are followed by children patents that broaden the scope into other areas.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014

Science-based ventures are very different from more widely studied technology ventures, such as t... more Science-based ventures are very different from more widely studied technology ventures, such as those built to exploit technology developments in electronics, computers, and software. Organizational challenges for science based ventures centre around long timelines, high capital requirements, and high levels of uncertainty. In this paper, the founding and evolution of a science-based venture-NanoGram/NeoPhotonicschosen for its high value creation from radical, generic technology, is presented. Analysis of the commercialization strategy of this exemplar reveals the role of organizational innovation in overcoming their commercialization challenges. A model is proposed demonstrating how science-based ventures can create value through targeting multiple markets with different entities, each with a narrow operational focus. Case study evidence also demonstrates that, for science-based ventures, the effectuation process of evolution involves a tradeoff between experiment fidelity on the one hand and speed and cost on the other.

Translational Materials Research, 2015

ABSTRACT Technology management tools are needed to guide early-stage commercialization decisions ... more ABSTRACT Technology management tools are needed to guide early-stage commercialization decisions and research and development (R&D) prioritization for the development of novel processes associated with materials innovations. We demonstrate the technical-economic cost modeling (TCM) methodology to model the economics of production scale-up of lab and pilot scale technology, and to analyse the feasibility of commercialization. We describe an innovative process for efficiently producing pure hydrogen—the fluidized bed membrane reactor (FBMR) process—and assess viable market segments and R&D priorities. Through TCM analysis, we find that small volume production (5000 kg d −1 or less) is viable for hydrogen production by FBMR today, and that future R&D should focus on increasing pressure handling capabilities rather than reducing the membrane thickness. Through sensitivity analysis, we find that unit cost is most sensitive to input feedstock costs and palladium membrane life rather than energy input or membrane flux. We demonstrate that the TCM methodology, through tighter integration of technical process limitations to production and cost variables, is useful to guide commercialization decisions for novel lab-scale production processes.

Handbook of Cellular Metals, 2002

Lightweight construction is gaining importance in automobile technology. Alongside improvements i... more Lightweight construction is gaining importance in automobile technology. Alongside improvements in wind resistance and tribology, weight reduction measures are of primary importance. This is necessary because for each particular automobile class there are increasing customer demands for safety, comfort, performance, and available internal space. Using conventional methods of construction to provide these customer-oriented features leads to a considerable increase in weight, giving rise to strong pressures to reverse the ...

Reviews in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2013

ABSTRACT There has been a rapid increase in nanotechnology patenting activity over the past two d... more ABSTRACT There has been a rapid increase in nanotechnology patenting activity over the past two decades, and substantial government, corporate and venture capital investments. However, the commercialization of nanotechnology products and processes has been surprisingly slow. This paper reviews the reasons why commercialization of nanotechnology is constrained, along with promising models for commercializing nanotechnology, and makes recommendations as to how scientist-entrepreneurs can overcome challenges in nanotechnology commercialization. Scientist-entrepreneurs should: (1) become more knowledgeable about the principles and practice of entrepreneurship, (2) patent broadly, including emerging market applications, (3) consider alliance partners when prioritizing potential applications, (4) initially commercialize a lower risk, substitution application, and (5) employ a hybrid organizational structure in nanotechnology ventures. Through such strategies, scientist-entrepreneurs can act as catalysts of nanotechnology commercialization.

Nanotechnology Commercialization, 2013

Technovation, 2012

Nanotechnology is frequently heralded as the next wave of technological advance, poised to enable... more Nanotechnology is frequently heralded as the next wave of technological advance, poised to enable radical innovation across many industries. But as yet little is known about how firms will ultimately create that value. We do know that nanotechnology is based on process innovation, a category of innovation less well understood than product innovation. And we know that new ventures are an important vehicle for commercializing radical technology. As new ventures seek to commercialize nanotechnology, they evolve value creation strategies to better link fundamental scientific advance with the creation of value for users and investors. This paper asks ''How do the successful value creation strategies of technology ventures differ in process vs. product-based innovation?'' An investigation of 12 ventures representing the extremes of value creation through process-based (nanotech) and product-based (fuel cell) innovation reveals significant differences in their value creation challenges, in the mechanisms of technology-market matching and alliance building, and in their levels of experimentation. Ventures exploiting process innovation faced greater uncertainty in their value chain positioning, market breadth, customization, and the changes required of their customers in contrast to product-based ventures. Our evidence shows that nanotechnology ventures benefit from prioritizing technology-market matching, alliance building and experimenting with technologies in new value networks.

International Journal of Technology Management, 2007

Advanced materials have been hailed as the third wave of revolutionary innovation after IT and bi... more Advanced materials have been hailed as the third wave of revolutionary innovation after IT and biotech, but have been poorly studied in the management literature to date. Similarities and differences in commercialisation incentives and challenges have not been adequately addressed. What role do start-up ventures play in the advanced materials sector? How does an advanced materials venture differ from any other emerging technology venture? To address these questions, we first present longitudinal data on firm size, suggesting that ...

International Journal of Technoentrepreneurship, 2008

The logic of network embeddedness has been widely used in the technology entrepreneurship literat... more The logic of network embeddedness has been widely used in the technology entrepreneurship literature in recent years, yet its operationalisation and use are neither well understood nor agreed upon. This paper reviews the logic of network embeddedness as it has been invoked and operationalised to predict the performance of New Technology-Based Firms (NTBFs). We find network embeddedness to be a useful predictor for NTBF performance when operationalised at both the dyad and network levels and when interaction effects or contingency factors that account for environmental conditions and firm constraints are included.

Innovation: Management, Policy & Practice, 2013

Science-based businesses have become the main drivers of commercialization for radical technologi... more Science-based businesses have become the main drivers of commercialization for radical technological advances, but face high technology uncertainty over long time frames, the need for significant complementary assets and require substantial financing. Advanced materials ventures are a sparsely studied type of science-based business, though sufficiently different from others, such as biotech, to merit individual study. What strategies do advanced materials ventures use to overcome their daunting commercialization challenges? To address this question, this paper draws on literature on value creation and advanced materials commercialization, and presents new evidence from a sample of 43 advanced materials ventures from 3 countries. Through a hierarchical cluster analysis, the sample is subdivided into nanomaterials, performance materials, and fuel cell ventures. Commercialization characteristics of these subgroups are described and compared. We find empirical support for an earlier model of value creation by advanced materials ventures, and identify successful commercialization strategies according to subgroup. Our findings suggest that embracing uncertainty enhances value creation for nanomaterials and performance materials ventures but can diminish value creation for ventures commercializing fuel cell technologies. Successful firms commercializing nanomaterials and performance materials leveraged the generic nature of their technologies to achieve higher value creation, but tailored the technology to each target market. In contrast, successful fuel cell firms integrated further forward along their value chains and standardized their products across target markets.

... helpful comments. Correspondence may be sent to Dr. Elicia Maine, Assistant Professor Faculty... more ... helpful comments. Correspondence may be sent to Dr. Elicia Maine, Assistant Professor Faculty of Business Administration, Simon Fraser University 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 5K3 Page 2. SFU ...

The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has long deemphasized mechanistic reasoning and pathophysiological ... more Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has long deemphasized mechanistic reasoning and pathophysiological rationale in assessing the effectiveness of interventions. The EBM+ movement has challenged this stance, arguing that evidence of mechanisms and comparative studies should both be seen as necessary and complementary. Advocates of EBM+ provide a combination of theoretical arguments and examples of mechanistic reasoning in medical research. However, EBM+ proponents have not provided recent examples of how downplaying mechanistic reasoning resulted in worse medical results than would have occurred otherwise. Such examples are necessary to make the case that EBM+ responds to a problem in clinical practice that urgently demands a solution. In light of this, we examine the failed rollout of efavirenz as a first-line HIV treatment in Zimbabwe as evidence of the importance of mechanistic reasoning in improving clinical practice and public health policy decisions. We suggest that this case is ana...

International Journal of Technology Management

Science-based university spin-offs face considerable technology and market uncertainty over exten... more Science-based university spin-offs face considerable technology and market uncertainty over extended periods of time, increasing the challenges of commercialisation. Scientist-entrepreneurs can play formative roles in commercialising lab-based scientific inventions through the formation of well-endowed university spin-offs. Through case study analysis of three science-based university spin-offs within a biotechnology innovation ecosystem, we unpack the impact of pre-formation intangible assets of academic scientists (research excellence, patenting, and international networks) and their entrepreneurial capabilities on spin-off performance. We find evidence that the pre-formation entrepreneurial capabilities of academic scientists can endow science-based university spin-offs by leveraging the scientists' pre-formation intangible assets. A theory-driven model depicting the role of pre-formation intangible assets and entrepreneurial capabilities in endowing science-based university spin-offs is developed. Recommendations are provided for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to more effectively commercialise high potential inventions in the university lab through the development and deployment of pre-formation intangible assets and entrepreneurial capabilities.

Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology

There are over 50 000 materials available to designers and engineers. This methodology is meant t... more There are over 50 000 materials available to designers and engineers. This methodology is meant to help the inventors of new materials select the most promising applications for the new material, by matching the technology to viable market opportunities. Technology – market matching is a significant challenge for advanced materials ventures. This methodology can steer further R&D, guide commercialization decisions, and inform discussions with potential alliance partners.

Many risks stand in the way of introducing a new material into the market place- some technical, ... more Many risks stand in the way of introducing a new material into the market place- some technical, some production related, some market oriented and some financial. Over the past 50 years, because of these risks, new material innovations have been commercialised almost exclusively by large corporations, and their development has had a long gestation period. If the risks can be estimated, quantified and managed at an early stage, and the risk-return is sufficiently financially attractive, then the gestation time of a new materials innovation is likely to be shortened. Tools exist for investigating aspects of these risks, but they were not originally developed with materials innovations in mind, nor have they been integrated into a coherent and accessible methodology which combines powerful predictive software tools with business strategy. For these reasons, the investment methodology for materials (IMM) has been introduced and developed in this thesis. IMM is intended to help identify ...

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2012

This paper integrates the value creation, new venture performance, and business model literatures... more This paper integrates the value creation, new venture performance, and business model literatures with that on the commercialization environment of advanced materials ventures to define and make operational the functions of a business model most relevant to emerging nanotechnology ventures. Responding to calls for new venture performance studies within carefully limited domains and for studies of the strategies of growth oriented ventures, empirical evidence is presented through case studies of 4 nanotechnology ventures, selected as examples of high and low value creation. Value creation recommendations emerge from a cross case comparison of business model functions and business model evolution processes.

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015

Commercializing science is not for the faint of heart. The high uncertainty, long timelines, and ... more Commercializing science is not for the faint of heart. The high uncertainty, long timelines, and large the amounts of capital required can prevent or delay commercialization of potentially high impact inventions in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and other scientific domains (Pisano, 2010; Maine, 2013). Many ideas languish not due to lack of scientific merit, but due to commercialization challenges in translating the scientific discoveries into products on the market. Strategies, frameworks and organizational innovations to aid in commercializing science - and thus creating economic and social value – are explored in this symposium. Biomedical Innovation: Commercialization Strategies for Scientist-Entrepreneurs Presenter: Varkey Jon Thomas; Simon Fraser U. Resilient Incubator Business Models in the Cambridge Cluster Presenter: Sarah Lubik; U. Cambridge Commercializing University Science by Developing "Eco-Value Propositions" Presenter: Jeremy K Hall; Simon Fraser U. Organizing for Radical Generic Innovatio...

Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering, 2018

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attractive mechanical and thermal properties (illustrated her... more Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attractive mechanical and thermal properties (illustrated here with material property charts) but they can be expensive. When does it make sense to use them? This chapter examines ways to identify applications for which MMCs are well suited, meaning that their performance is seen to have sufficient value to justify their cost. There are three steps: and analysis of performance, an estimate of cost, and an examination of the trade-off between the two involving a metric of value. The performance analysis leads to a set of material indices (metrics of excellence) that can be plotted onto the material property charts, enabling material selection. The method is illustrated by case-studies, using a contemporary compilation of data for the mechanical and thermal properties of MMCs.

Nature materials, Apr 26, 2016

Long commercialization times, high capital costs and sustained uncertainty deter investment in in... more Long commercialization times, high capital costs and sustained uncertainty deter investment in innovation for advanced materials. With appropriate strategies, technology and market uncertainties can be reduced, and the commercialization of advanced materials accelerated.

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015

In this paper we explore an academic entrepreneur’s patent portfolio to explore what insights can... more In this paper we explore an academic entrepreneur’s patent portfolio to explore what insights can be gained via patent metrics when analyzing academic patents in search of indicators of patent breadth. In particular, we explore differences in patent breadth metrics by comparing two sub-gropus of patents: academic patents versus those with commercial or corporate interests, and parent patents versus their children within a given family. We find that some metrics, when individually taken at face value, tell a conflicted story, and that they should be interpreted with caution. Collectively, the metrics tell an interesting story in that they support an argument that academic patents are broader than commercial patents. Analysis of children patents indicate that academic parent patents are enhanced in more specific areas by their children patents and that commercial parent patents are followed by children patents that broaden the scope into other areas.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014

Science-based ventures are very different from more widely studied technology ventures, such as t... more Science-based ventures are very different from more widely studied technology ventures, such as those built to exploit technology developments in electronics, computers, and software. Organizational challenges for science based ventures centre around long timelines, high capital requirements, and high levels of uncertainty. In this paper, the founding and evolution of a science-based venture-NanoGram/NeoPhotonicschosen for its high value creation from radical, generic technology, is presented. Analysis of the commercialization strategy of this exemplar reveals the role of organizational innovation in overcoming their commercialization challenges. A model is proposed demonstrating how science-based ventures can create value through targeting multiple markets with different entities, each with a narrow operational focus. Case study evidence also demonstrates that, for science-based ventures, the effectuation process of evolution involves a tradeoff between experiment fidelity on the one hand and speed and cost on the other.

Translational Materials Research, 2015

ABSTRACT Technology management tools are needed to guide early-stage commercialization decisions ... more ABSTRACT Technology management tools are needed to guide early-stage commercialization decisions and research and development (R&D) prioritization for the development of novel processes associated with materials innovations. We demonstrate the technical-economic cost modeling (TCM) methodology to model the economics of production scale-up of lab and pilot scale technology, and to analyse the feasibility of commercialization. We describe an innovative process for efficiently producing pure hydrogen—the fluidized bed membrane reactor (FBMR) process—and assess viable market segments and R&D priorities. Through TCM analysis, we find that small volume production (5000 kg d −1 or less) is viable for hydrogen production by FBMR today, and that future R&D should focus on increasing pressure handling capabilities rather than reducing the membrane thickness. Through sensitivity analysis, we find that unit cost is most sensitive to input feedstock costs and palladium membrane life rather than energy input or membrane flux. We demonstrate that the TCM methodology, through tighter integration of technical process limitations to production and cost variables, is useful to guide commercialization decisions for novel lab-scale production processes.

Handbook of Cellular Metals, 2002

Lightweight construction is gaining importance in automobile technology. Alongside improvements i... more Lightweight construction is gaining importance in automobile technology. Alongside improvements in wind resistance and tribology, weight reduction measures are of primary importance. This is necessary because for each particular automobile class there are increasing customer demands for safety, comfort, performance, and available internal space. Using conventional methods of construction to provide these customer-oriented features leads to a considerable increase in weight, giving rise to strong pressures to reverse the ...

Reviews in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2013

ABSTRACT There has been a rapid increase in nanotechnology patenting activity over the past two d... more ABSTRACT There has been a rapid increase in nanotechnology patenting activity over the past two decades, and substantial government, corporate and venture capital investments. However, the commercialization of nanotechnology products and processes has been surprisingly slow. This paper reviews the reasons why commercialization of nanotechnology is constrained, along with promising models for commercializing nanotechnology, and makes recommendations as to how scientist-entrepreneurs can overcome challenges in nanotechnology commercialization. Scientist-entrepreneurs should: (1) become more knowledgeable about the principles and practice of entrepreneurship, (2) patent broadly, including emerging market applications, (3) consider alliance partners when prioritizing potential applications, (4) initially commercialize a lower risk, substitution application, and (5) employ a hybrid organizational structure in nanotechnology ventures. Through such strategies, scientist-entrepreneurs can act as catalysts of nanotechnology commercialization.

Nanotechnology Commercialization, 2013

Technovation, 2012

Nanotechnology is frequently heralded as the next wave of technological advance, poised to enable... more Nanotechnology is frequently heralded as the next wave of technological advance, poised to enable radical innovation across many industries. But as yet little is known about how firms will ultimately create that value. We do know that nanotechnology is based on process innovation, a category of innovation less well understood than product innovation. And we know that new ventures are an important vehicle for commercializing radical technology. As new ventures seek to commercialize nanotechnology, they evolve value creation strategies to better link fundamental scientific advance with the creation of value for users and investors. This paper asks ''How do the successful value creation strategies of technology ventures differ in process vs. product-based innovation?'' An investigation of 12 ventures representing the extremes of value creation through process-based (nanotech) and product-based (fuel cell) innovation reveals significant differences in their value creation challenges, in the mechanisms of technology-market matching and alliance building, and in their levels of experimentation. Ventures exploiting process innovation faced greater uncertainty in their value chain positioning, market breadth, customization, and the changes required of their customers in contrast to product-based ventures. Our evidence shows that nanotechnology ventures benefit from prioritizing technology-market matching, alliance building and experimenting with technologies in new value networks.

International Journal of Technology Management, 2007

Advanced materials have been hailed as the third wave of revolutionary innovation after IT and bi... more Advanced materials have been hailed as the third wave of revolutionary innovation after IT and biotech, but have been poorly studied in the management literature to date. Similarities and differences in commercialisation incentives and challenges have not been adequately addressed. What role do start-up ventures play in the advanced materials sector? How does an advanced materials venture differ from any other emerging technology venture? To address these questions, we first present longitudinal data on firm size, suggesting that ...

International Journal of Technoentrepreneurship, 2008

The logic of network embeddedness has been widely used in the technology entrepreneurship literat... more The logic of network embeddedness has been widely used in the technology entrepreneurship literature in recent years, yet its operationalisation and use are neither well understood nor agreed upon. This paper reviews the logic of network embeddedness as it has been invoked and operationalised to predict the performance of New Technology-Based Firms (NTBFs). We find network embeddedness to be a useful predictor for NTBF performance when operationalised at both the dyad and network levels and when interaction effects or contingency factors that account for environmental conditions and firm constraints are included.

Innovation: Management, Policy & Practice, 2013

Science-based businesses have become the main drivers of commercialization for radical technologi... more Science-based businesses have become the main drivers of commercialization for radical technological advances, but face high technology uncertainty over long time frames, the need for significant complementary assets and require substantial financing. Advanced materials ventures are a sparsely studied type of science-based business, though sufficiently different from others, such as biotech, to merit individual study. What strategies do advanced materials ventures use to overcome their daunting commercialization challenges? To address this question, this paper draws on literature on value creation and advanced materials commercialization, and presents new evidence from a sample of 43 advanced materials ventures from 3 countries. Through a hierarchical cluster analysis, the sample is subdivided into nanomaterials, performance materials, and fuel cell ventures. Commercialization characteristics of these subgroups are described and compared. We find empirical support for an earlier model of value creation by advanced materials ventures, and identify successful commercialization strategies according to subgroup. Our findings suggest that embracing uncertainty enhances value creation for nanomaterials and performance materials ventures but can diminish value creation for ventures commercializing fuel cell technologies. Successful firms commercializing nanomaterials and performance materials leveraged the generic nature of their technologies to achieve higher value creation, but tailored the technology to each target market. In contrast, successful fuel cell firms integrated further forward along their value chains and standardized their products across target markets.

... helpful comments. Correspondence may be sent to Dr. Elicia Maine, Assistant Professor Faculty... more ... helpful comments. Correspondence may be sent to Dr. Elicia Maine, Assistant Professor Faculty of Business Administration, Simon Fraser University 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 5K3 Page 2. SFU ...