Dr Neil Bradshaw Director of Enterprise

1. Dr Neil BradshawDirector of Enterprise The role of IPR as seen by the academic community LES Annual Conference, Bristol, June 24, 2004

2. University of Bristol • Integrated Research and Enterprise Development Division • Supports an integrated portfolio of activity • Institutional research strategy • Research funding and business development • eg EU Fp6 support • Research Contracts • IP Protection • Exploitation • Licensing • Spinout company formation • Incubation • Enterprise learning and culture

3. Today • Classical view of Universities role • Changes in the 80’s • Industry Backlash? • National Innovation Systems • Myths of University Commercialisation • The University Response – past and future

4. Classical view of Universities role • Creation and publication of basic or core knowledge • Transfer of knowledge through teaching • Graduates as knowledge transfer agents • Commercialisation a threat to core mission • Global peer group • Professional bureaucracies • “… collections of individuals united by the need for car parking and accommodation” • anonymous Venture Capitalist

5. Changes in the 80’s • US Bayh Dole Act 1980 - the ‘Magna Carta’ of Technology Transfer? • Ownership of IP • Remit of University • US and SME centric • License only • Impact and change in US • British Technology Group role in 1985 • UK University ownership • Changes in UK less restrictive than US

6. Industry backlash? • Legal framework biased to Universities • Universities overvalue IP • We can exploit – IP only 5% of the product • Bureaucracy and speed of action • we have to walk away • ‘Inventor ownership’ syndrome

7. National Innovation Systems • Basic Science as a major driver of a linear innovation process – is this correct? • UK Strategy for Science Engineering and Technology 2002 • “a tradition of scientific discovery… less successful in capitalising on earlier waves…we must not allow this opportunity to elude us now” • Clusters and communities promote tacit and codified knowledge flows and diffusion • Multiple actors – Universities, SMEs, corporates, financiers, professionals

8. Myths of University Commercialisation • Universities are a vast untapped source of intellectual property • Researchers despise the concept of business and wealth generation • Every time we license a technology we are losing everything • European Universities are way behind their US counterparts

9. The University Response – past • Reactive & defensive • Limited skilled staff and resources • IP leakage – publication drivers • Patent everything - we can decide what to do later Value and wealth ‘leaking away’ • Industry are ‘enemies’ to be beaten down • Spinout companies are best • Conservative view of risk and liability • US knows everything, just follow them

10. The University Response – now and future • Recognition of their role in the knowledge economy • Market driven licensing • Intelligent demand? • Reduction to Practice/Proof of Concept • add value to ‘raw’ IP • IPR facilitates research collaboration • Industry needs security for commercialisation • Realistic expectations on wealth generation • Systematic evaluation of knowledge • Sharing of tech transfer learning

11. Conclusion • Academic Community now moving to a more mature understanding of the value of IP • It will never fund a large proportion of basic research • It is required by exploiters so must be secured • supports collaboration and knowledge flows • Regional and National Innovation • A new model for the University role in the economy

12. At the University of Bristol:- Dr Neil Bradshaw neil.bradshaw@bristol.ac.uk www.bristol.ac.uk/research