This paper examines the relationship between academic publications and patents. The empirical application considers the Spanish public higher education system during 2006-2010. First, we use regression models to investigate those factors that act as potential drivers when considering papers and patents individually. Second, we run a cluster analysis in order to test whether Spanish universities follow different patterns in the way they align their resources in regard to research objectives. The overarching conclusion is that cross-fertilization relationships between academic research and its commercialization are found. There are, however, important differences on how universities are disseminating these research results when we in-depth in the analysis of the resources and capabilities universities possess. Results also stress the need to look at contextual and normative factors.