Assessing Academic Entrepreneurship Efficiency in China’s National University Science and Technology Parks: A DEA Analysis

Academic entrepreneurship, characterized by the commercialization of research findings by university scholars, plays a central role in driving global innovation. Within the context of China’s National University Science and Technology Park (NUSTP), this study introduces a robust evaluation index system and employs the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method to assess the efficiency of such endeavors across 30 Chinese provinces, from the horizontal provincial level and the vertical time-series level. Notably, the academic entrepreneurship efficiency of NUSTPs varies significantly among different provinces and regions of China. For instance, regions like North China demonstrate optimal efficiency, while provinces such as Liaoning, Jilin, Ningxia, and Shaanxi lag behind. The findings reveal that while many NUSTPs exhibit DEA inefficiency, scale inefficiencies are more dominant than pure technical inefficiencies. As the global academic landscape evolves, challenges related to institutional management appear to be diminishing, but issues concerning resource allocation are becoming more pronounced. The optimization of resource distribution, alignment with both local and global policies, and adaptation to evolving entrepreneurial landscapes are imperative for institutions to foster innovation and enhance efficiency. These insights, while rooted in the Chinese context, have broader implications for academic institutions worldwide.