Publisher Correction: Driving Change in Higher Education: the Role of Dynamic Capabilities in Strengthening Universities’ Third Mission

Universities play a crucial role in social, economic, and technological development. Over the last decades, higher education systems have experimented with multiple transformations due to social demands, socioeconomic paradigms, and external shakeouts. Even though teaching and research are still the core functions of universities, other activities are emerging within/beyond the universities’ scope and boundaries to configure the “third mission.” Despite the increasing importance of universities’ third mission, little is known about the role of dynamic capabilities underpinning the configuration of the third mission across higher education systems. Using a unique longitudinal dataset that captures the German higher education landscape from 2000 to 2016, we investigate the effect of dynamic teaching/research capabilities for achieving the third university mission (knowledge transfer and technology commercialization). Our results reveal tensions between complementary and substitution effects when pursuing universities’ three missions (teaching, research, and knowledge transfer and technology commercialization), requiring university managers’ and policymakers’ strategic decisions. We provide implications for university managers and the university community as well as policymakers during the re-configuration process of becoming more entrepreneurial and innovative, highlighting the relevance of effectively managing universities’ dynamic capabilities. Universities have undergone significant transformations in recent decades, responding to societal demands, economic shifts, and external pressures. The third mission of universities thereby serves as a driving force and encompasses endeavors that go beyond traditional academic functions, such as knowledge transfer and technology commercialization. Despite its increasing importance, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that lead to third mission outcomes. To shed light on this crucial topic, this paper delves into the impact of dynamic teaching and research capabilities on achieving the third mission’s goals. Our findings reveal goal conflicts that universities face in balancing their three missions, requiring university managers and policymakers to make strategic decisions to navigate these tensions effectively. As universities aim to become more entrepreneurial and innovative, effectively managing dynamic capabilities and making strategic decisions becomes paramount during reconfiguration processes, enabling universities to unlock their full potential for economic, technological, and societal impacts.