Academic spin-offs. A comparative analysis of European policies. Over the last two decades, European policy-makers have paid an increasing attention towards the development of technology transfer between public research and industry, especially through the creation of new technology-based firms. Laws and programmes fostering university spin-offs are often part of a broader range of measures aimed at bringing academic research closer to the economy and reveal the current focus of innovation policies on the conditions of technological competitiveness. By comparing different European national contexts, this articles reviews the mechanisms and specific incentives adopted by government in order to promote the establishment of new technology start-ups and shows the increasing role of public policies for new business creation by academics and researchers.