A Dissertation Submitted To Shanghai Jiao Tong University For The Degree Of Master

With the rise of a knowledge economy, university spin-offs (USOs), which are set up by research universities to establish a bridge between academia and industry and to further promote regional economic development, have become an important form of"knowledge capitalization". Based on extant theories and typical cases, this thesis has in the first place studied and combined RBV and Life Cycle Theories to form a conceptual framework of the dynamic evolution of USOs. Then by discussing the history and current situation of the USOs in China, this thesis carried out a case study on some typical USOs in China and concluded their general characteristics during their development. Also, we combined the previously-developed conceptual framework with the case of HDIC to form a concrete and wholesome analysis, and pointed out the important role of university and government, as resource providers, play in helping the USOs overcoming critical junctures and developing between phases. Then, by conducting a survey, this thesis carried out a quantitative analysis on the factors that influence the development process of the USOs in China, and discussed their difference in terms of importance during different stages of a company's growth. Based on the findings, the thesis then proceeded to make an explorative design on an auxiliary assessment system on the development of the USOs in China.