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Creating future Technology Transfer Professionals Marina Silverii

Creating future Technology Transfer Professionals Marina Silverii ASTER – Science Technology Business Roma, 20th November 2007 4th Roving Workshop on the Dissemination of IP knowledge at Universities. Aim and contents of the presentation.

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Creating future Technology Transfer Professionals Marina Silverii

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  1. Creating future Technology Transfer Professionals Marina Silverii ASTER – Science Technology Business Roma, 20th November 2007 4th Roving Workshop on the Dissemination of IP knowledge at Universities

  2. Aim and contents of the presentation AimReflect upon Technology Transfer professional profile and its competences • Contents • What is Aster and why we deal with Human Capital Development • TT professional: needs, contexts, key elements • TT professional: competences and training • TT professional: mutual recognition

  3. ASTER’s Shareholders Aster is a Consortium • Bussinesses organisations: • Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna (Federation of Emilia-Romagna Chambers of Commerce) • CNA Emilia-Romagna (Confederation of the micro and SMEs) • Confartigianato Emilia-Romagna (Confederation of micro and SMEs) • Confcommercio Emilia-Romagna (Confederation for Trade) • Confcooperative Emilia-Romagna (Confederation of Cooperatives) • Confindustria Emilia-Romagna (Confederation of Industries) • Legacoop Emilia-Romagna (Cooperatives League) • Unionapi Emilia-Romagna (Confederation of SMEs) • Regional Services Centres (Cercal, Cermet, Cesma, Citer, Quasco) Regional Government: • Emilia-Romagna Region Universities and Research Centres: • National Council of Research (CNR) • University of Bologna • University of Modena and Reggio Emilia • University of Ferrara • University of Parma • University “La Cattolica” – Piacenza • National Body for Energy, Environment, Innovation (ENEA) • National Institute of Astrophisics (INAF) Regional Government share: 29,5% Universities/Research Centres share: 54,5%

  4. Emilia-Romagna: a regional overview • Over 400,000 enterprises • Strong entrepreneurial attitude: 80,000 are manufacturing enterprises, 1 every 10 inhabitants • Over 130,000 microenterprises: 97% with less than 20 employees (average 5.2 per enterprise) • 3,000 cooperatives • Highly qualified research offer 10-11% of national total of researchers 13-15% of national research production

  5. ASTER Activities Technical Assistance on Research & Innovation to the E-R Regional Government Services for Innovation, Research Promotion and Technology Transfer Regional networking for knowledge Human Capital Development Business Creation International activities Coordination and animation of the Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network

  6. Aster and Human Capital Development Development of skills and competences related to technological transfer, industrial research and management of innovation In research laboratory Industrial Researcher In enterprise Innovation Manager Between enterprise and laboratory Technology Transfer Professional

  7. Development of new competences In laboratory Industrial Researcher If they know needs and functioning of the enterprise they are able to cooperate with them and to develop common research projects. That means: to empower researchers’ transversal competences which are complementary to those specialized they already have • In enterprise • Innovation Manager • Absorptive capacity is defined as the ability to assimilate and replicate new knowledge gained from external sources. The organization needs prior related knowledge to assimilate and use new knowledge (Cohen e Levinthal, 1990).

  8. A concrete activity: M-Aster M-ASTER: aims at developing skills and professional identity of the Emilia-Romagna young researchers involved in industrial research and technological transfer activities The M-Aster training programme includes: • M-AsterEVENTS: a series of conferences • M-Aster LAB: a training pathway: Lectures, Thematic seminars, Project Work • M-Aster DOC: a week training module for PhD students of regional universities

  9. Technology Transfer Professional Needs Technology Transfer Professional can develop several activities, in different contexts at national and international level. This role is considered strategic for the success of the European Research Area The recognition/accreditation of the profile at European level is needed. How to achieve this goal?

  10. Technology Transfer ProfessionalKey elements Common competences Ideal training course Professional standards European CV: common career structure and path

  11. Technology Transfer ProfessionalFields of activity TT Professional can be involved in different areas Technology commercialization Technology Transfer Technology change Technology Management Knowledge management Knowledge Transfer Intellectual property Innovation Innovation management Research & Development Patent & protection

  12. Technology Transfer ProfessionalWorkingContexts TT Professional can work in different kind of organizations • Universities (TTOs) • PROs • Scientific Parks • Consortia for Innovation • Industry • Industry Associations • Chambers of Commerce • Non-Profit Organizations (foundations)

  13. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCompetences The ideal Technology Transfer Professional should develop a mixture of skills in order to solve technical and human problems • Business-management skills • Technical (scientific and legal) skills • Social skills CERT-TTT-M Consortium (2007), Key Elements of Education Programme for “Certified Trans-National TT Professionals” WP1/D1.3

  14. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCompetences • Business/management skills • Commercial awareness in specific business areas such as finance and marketing: • allows actors to make informed strategic decisions • assists to recognize business opportunities at an early stage • New business development: the strategic approach pursued to ensure the growth of the enterprise, considering various options of technology transfer available and their impact on the economic success of the firm • See also: Marketing & selling; Project management/finance; Personal organization (multiple projects & skills integration), etc.

  15. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCompetences • Technical (legal and scientific) skills • Industry-specific expertise: the specific technical knowledge of a product. Understanding the technical side of the product may seem necessary in evaluating the possibilities to commercialize a technology. • It can be something of a burden to non-technical technology transfer professionals • Knowledge of intellectual property rights and licensing • See also: contracting; IP management; etc.

  16. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCompetences Social skills Communication: a set of information exchanges. Various factors can negatively affect communications between parties, such as differences in skills base (technical, market or product-related) or language and cultural differences Negotiation: a set of interactions through which two parties influence each other’s perceptions. Organizations often fail to benefit from the commercialization of their technology partly because of poor negotiation skills Networking: building and maintaining contacts with various networks. These networks may be seen as social networks that promote the creation and transfer of knowledge See also: Coaching/leadership, etc.

  17. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCertified Training Training programmes on technology transfer actually available in Europe The courses present different characteristics for type, duration, provider. There are Master programmes; Parts of programmes; Summer schools; Workshops & Seminars; Certificated courses; Crash courses. They are offered by universities and associations. The main contents focuses on law and management. The intellectual property courses are an intersection of both groups. Data from a survey conducted on 134 courses in 20 European countries: Management Centre Innsbruck (2007), WP2 Technical Features. Survey of European TT education programmes, Consortium CERT-TTT-M

  18. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCertified Training Available courses on TT: details of the contents

  19. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCertified Training • Existing training programmes in general don’t satisfy such professional needs of competences • A number of courses are already available but they don’t cover the full range of skills needed for a technology transfer professional • Courses are designed at a national/local level while a European approach should be required • Certification may be available but only at a national level while recognition/accreditation of qualification among European countries is needed

  20. Technology Transfer ProfessionalCertified Training • Training programmes which could be recognised at European level have to be developed by considering • The Lisbon Convention on Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education (1997) and the Bologna Process scenarios (1999) • European tools for transparency of learning outcomes (ECTS, Diploma Supplement, European and National Qualifications Frameworks) • Agreements among different institutions which can lead up to Joint Degrees

  21. Technology Transfer ProfessionalMutual Recognition • Some key elements • Academic recognition versus professional recognition • Top down versus bottom up approach • Regulated profession versus profession recognized in a wide social setting • Professional profileversusfunction

  22. Technology Transfer ProfessionalNext Future What can be done? Define shared ideal training courses based on best practices and developed according with European standards in higher education Agree on mutual recognition of qualification among European Member States Promote collaboration among national and international stakeholders (public institutions, universities, enterprises, professional networks) in order to identify common professional standards and career development

  23. Technology Transfer ProfessionalImportant initiatives • What kind of initiatives are taking place? • PROTON Europe initiative on accreditation and certification system for Knowledge Transfer Officers presents an interesting bottom up approach • The European project Certified Transnational Technology Transfer Manageris a bottom-up-intiative by 11 European partners aimed at building up a framework to qualify TT-Managers on a trans-national level and with mutual recognition in Europe European Commission Communication 182 (2007) Improving knowledge transfer between research institutions and industry across Europe: embracing open innovation

  24. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! marina.silverii@aster.it www.aster.it

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