46 The paper presents the analysis of universities' potential for knowledge transfer to the business environment. The first part of the paper shows the analysis of university organisational units related to various parts of the innovation process. Each stage of the process creates distinct challenges for university operations, hence in the paper the basic framework to observe the capacity of organisational structures to respond to them has been constructed. The analysis focuses on relatively large units with complex operations, such as technology transfer centres, as well as on the organisational role of one-man positions, such as dean’s representatives for business relations. The results of the theoretical analysis are referred to the results of the research concerning knowledge transfer practices among universities in Lodz (Poland). A total of thirty-five cases of knowledge transfer practices were included in the analysis. The analysis conducted in the Lodzkie Region covered types of practices, the initiative of carrying out practices, their duration, the nature of practices, their subject scope and impact, as well as risks and benefits associated with implementing knowledge transfer practices. The preliminary exploration, interviews and innovation studies conducted indicate that the analysis covered a vast majority of such practices     https://ijhem.com/details&cid=46 https://ijhem.com/cdn/article_file/content_52946_17-02-25-22-36-05.pdf Volume 03 Issue 2 6 2017-02-01 2017-02-26 no University commercialisation of knowledge university's organisational structure university's co-operation with the environment none 5388 14 0 PAWEL GLODEK University of Lodz, Poland Department of the Entrepreneurship and Industrial Policy EDWARD STAWASZ University of Lodz, Poland Department of the Entrepreneurship and Industrial Policy