What drives successful sustainable technology transfer in emerging open innovation ecosystems

Southeast European transition economies continue to struggle with turning innovative ideas into sustainable commercial successes. This paper examines the factors that drive effective and lasting Technology Transfer (TT) within emerging open innovation ecosystems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania. Unlike earlier studies that focus on a single country or rely on limited methods, this research adopts a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, combining a two-round Delphi study, focus groups, a needs analysis, and a survey of 100 companies.Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) on data collected from companies and research institutions, the study demonstrates that robust Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) exerts a significant and direct influence on enhancing technology transfer. In contrast, innovation capabilities alone do not significantly affect transfer outcomes. Instead, network dynamics strengthen these capabilities, which in turn support technology transfer — but only when embedded within solid institutional frameworks. These findings challenge the common assumption that innovation capabilities are sufficient for successful technology commercialization. They emphasize the critical importance of institutional quality and cooperation networks in transitional economies. At the theoretical level, the study integrates resource-based, institutional, and open innovation perspectives to address the “innovation-implementation” gap. Practically, it highlights key policy priorities: strengthening IPP enforcement, establishing specialized IPP courts, and fostering partnerships between universities and industry, as well as within innovation clusters. For companies and universities, developing absorptive capacity and engaging in cross-border collaborations are essential for maximizing the benefits of external knowledge. While limited by its regional focus and cross-sectional design, this research offers a nuanced framework for sustainable technology transfer in Southeast Europe and underscores the need for further comparative and longitudinal studies to deepen our understanding of this phenomenon.