Commercializing a disruptive technology based upon university ip through open innovation

This paper discusses the use of a university spin-out firm to bring a potentially disruptive technology to market. The focus for discussion is how a spin-out can build a technology ecosystem of providers of complementary resources to enable partner organizations to build competence in a novel and potentially disruptive technology. The paper uses the illustrative case of Cambridge Display Technology Ltd (CDT) to consider these issues from the perspective of the literature on open innovation (with particular emphasis on the role of partnerships between start-ups and established firms), the commercialization of university IP, and the commercialization of disruptive technologies. © World Scientific Publishing Company.