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Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has in the past been adjudged the best
in the nation in academics’ performance. Undoubtedly KAU has a pool of very good
teachers, but how did this translate into technology facilitation for entrepreneurship?
How oriented were KAU teachers in converting research output into entrepreneur
usable technology? Were teachers keeping the technology to themselves for fear that
once released they would never get due credit for the effort they had put in? Were
intellectual property rights at stake? Was innovation duly rewarded? Where did KAU
stand on ease-of-doing business parameters? What were the issues that needed to be
addressed to make KAU gain the status of being an entrepreneur friendly destination?
Could technology transfer procedures be simplified? Was there a mechanism for
aspiring entrepreneurs to redress their grievances? These were the questions that this
study sought to address.
The study attempted to decipher the level of entrepreneurship orientation
among KAU teachers. The study documented the experiences of aspiring/practicing
agri-entrepreneurs in relation to KAU with respect to transfer of technology. The
study provided insight on how KAU can reinvent itself to remain relevant in the
changing agribusiness scenario and made suggestions for improving the entrepreneur
interface of Kerala Agricultural University. The random sample included 90 teachers
and 30 aspiring/practicing agri-entrepreneurs who had contacted the KAU
Technology Hub.
The study documented the profile characteristics of the teacher respondents
with respect to designation, place of work, age, gender, qualification, service details,
faculty improvement, publications, research involvement, recognitions received and
extension activity.
Entrepreneurship Orientation of KAU teachers: While teachers had a positive
attitude towards entrepreneurship, 44.4 per cent believed that KAU would never give
them due recognition for trying to promote entrepreneurship and 36.7 per cent
believed that KAU will never give them credit for technology transferred.
Entrepreneurship Interface of KAU as perceived by the teacher respondents:
26.7 per cent opined that there were sometimes many barriers to effective transfer of
technology in KAU and that administrative barriers often prevented effective and
timely transfer of technology in KAU.
Entrepreneurship Interface of KAU as perceived by aspiring/practicing
entrepreneurs: 90 per cent expressed that response at first point of contact was always
quick but 56.7 per cent stated that protection of entrepreneur interest in the MoU was
not really ensured.
Based on mean score index the Entrepreneurship Orientation of KAU teachers
and the Entrepreneurship Interface of KAU as perceived by the teachers was found to
be at a medium level while the Entrepreneurship Interface of KAU as perceived by
aspiring/practicing entrepreneurs was found to be at a low level.
Years of service as head of office/institution in KAU, number of popular
articles and research notes published had a positive and significant relationship with
Entrepreneurship Orientation. Total number of research projects as Principal
Investigator had a positive and significant relationship with the perception of KAUs’
Entrepreneurship Interface as perceived by the teachers.
Five technologies, viz., Veggie Wash, Red Banana Cool, Njavara based health
drink, Osmo-dehydrated Products and induction of flowering and improvement of
yield in adult mango trees were randomly selected for case study. Each case study
brought to light a different aspect of KAU technology transfer process that required
focused and immediate attention of the highest authorities in KAU.
Suggestions have been put forth to foster a better entrepreneur interface for
the Kerala Agricultural University and four areas were delineated for future research. |
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