The spin-off chain

Several theories have been developed over a large number of years on the effort of localisation and exploitation of research results that take place in research laboratories and which can lead to the production of innovative products. This process is being facilitated by spin-off companies. The objectives of this paper is to review relevant models and build a conceptual framework - the 'Spin-off Chain' - to direct a undeveloped, region throughout the spin-off process. Unlikely to other models that consider the entrepreneurial-economic growth connection as shelf evident, the Spin-Off Chain integrates the regional and national context into the main university-based entrepreneurial process at a point that this connection is in its infantry and still requires top-down direction. Therefore, a pilot project is designed to apply the concept at the West Macedonia, Greece, aiming to generate the first spin-off company bypassing the barriers and shortages of the region.