Abstract:

The changes related to globalization, technologies and the digitalization or information and communication technologies and services evoke an intense debate around the role of universities, their profiles and post-industrial performances. In addition, competition is rising in both the acquisition of research resources and high-quality students. That's why universities under pressure of change review their long-term goals, ways of functioning, expand and renew their portfolio of activities. In addition, competition is rising in both the acquisition of research resources and high-quality students. The universities have a strong potential to support and mediate transfer of knowledge and technology within regional innovation systems and industry clusters if they have a third entrepreneurial role in addition to education and scientific research. Mechanisms of knowledge transfer at universities include various institutional forms, based on partnerships with other entities on a geographic or professional scale.

An important role in creating and supporting the functioning of the university innovation ecosystem is to identify its problems and barriers to the emergence of spin-off or start-up companies, intellectual property protection, the accreditation processes of study programmes as well as their innovation and the entire university ecosystem. Although attitudes are gradually changing, which is evident in the strategic materials of both government and universities, legislation does not sufficiently support the acceptance of risks associated with the process of innovative entrepreneurship in the university environment. Gradually, there are educational activities in the field of practical technology-based entrepreneurship, but with a risk of concentrating on short-term goals. Missing incentives to engage in commercialization of research. Traditional academic culture and metric performance indicators represent a major barrier to academic entrepreneurship and commercialization of research.

The activity associated with the use of intellectual property that arises on academic ground has long been the subject of research by prominent experts and institutions dealing with the subject matter. The diversity of approaches abroad and in the Slovak Republic, which is currently being recorded, gives rise to penetrations and differences.The paper deals with the issues of innovation ecosystem, knowledge transfer and intellectual property protection at the universities and in the Slovak conditions.

Keywords:

University innovation ecosystem, intellectual property, knowledge transfer.