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Thessaloniki - March 2013. Bar-Ilan R&D. Why is Tech-Transfer important ?.
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Thessaloniki - March 2013 Bar-Ilan R&D
Why is Tech-Transfer important? “Just as castles provided the source of strength for medieval towns, and factories provided prosperity in the industrial age, universities are the source of strength in the knowledge‐based economy of the twenty‐first century.” Lord Dearing, September 2002 Lord Dearing - author of inquiry reports on Higher Education in the UK
Technology Transfer .. Helps university inventors and entrepreneurs make their ideas and concepts more commercially successful for the benefit of society, the country’s economy, the inventors and the university.
The Israeli experience • Each University has an R&D company. The company is fully owned by the university, but has an independent Board of Directors, a Chairman of the board, who is an external businessman and a general manager. • The importance of technology transfer is percolating down to researchers • The government plays an important role, through the Office of the Chief Scientistof the Ministry of Industry & Trade, who funnels heavy sums for joint university-company-SME projects. • Magnet, Magneton, Nofar, Kamin, Technological Parks. • Israel’s National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI) • US-Israel Binational Industrial and Agricultural R&D • Surprisingly, defense industry is not the major player
Benefits to the University Research • increased potential for participating in interesting and funded projects • augment its research program through interaction with the private sector University staff recruitment & retention • retain the university's entrepreneurial faculty • attract outstanding graduate students Reputation • contribute to the institutional reputation for innovation • enhance its reputation for providing highly trained students for the industrial work force • Promoting good “news stories” from the university
Benefits to the Inventor • Making a positive impact on society • Feeling a sense of personal fulfillment • Achieving recognition and financial reward • Generating additional research funding • Attracting research sponsors • Creating educational opportunities for students • Linking students to future job opportunities
Absolute pre-requisites for technology transfer • A unique, novel technology that exists in a specific research group • A scientist willing to commit his efforts to TT • A professional TT office within the university • Good contacts with local or international high-tech companies
Innovation Models • Collaborative research:in exchange for a license option based on the researcher’s background the industry funds his research aiming at a commercialisableproduct. • Spin-out creation: technology offered to a company with conditions for shares and/or royalties. First years of operation devoted to prove technical feasibility and market potential. 6.5% of US universities research funding derived from business
Policy framework- University Clear policy is required within the University so the rules and regulations are unambiguously set out. • ownership of intellectual property generated by university staff and students; • transfer of rights between university and researchers; • revenue sharing arrangements; • arrangements for formation of spin-out companies; • identifying and managing conflicts of interest; • dispute resolution framework.
Stages in the route to commercialization In the lab • Research • Invention Disclosure • Assessment • Claims to Ownership • Feasibility and Scope of Protection-Patentability • Commercial Potential and Value- Marketability • Stage of Development • Commitment of Inventor(s) • Protection • Marketing • Licensing • Commercialization • Patience..patience..patience: Revenue Assessment in the company Post-approval steps
Why do businesses want to engage with universities? • Reduce their own cost and risk • New ideas for their future planning • Develop skills, capability and profile
Possible difficulties in collaborations • Mismatch in expectations and objectives. • Failure to agree on the future of the intellectual property. • Contrasting views on the management of liabilities between partners. • Time scale mismatch; a university has already committed its resources and does not have the available capacity to meet the timescale that the business needs. • Financial constraints: a university is unable to provide the service required for the price the company is willing to pay. • Sustainability: the investment required by the university to provide the service does not have an acceptable payback period. • Capability mismatch: a university does not have the skill set or the facilities to meet the needs of the business.
Success Factors • Overall research quality • Staffing office with skilled professionals • Financial resources for growth • Ability to fund the cost of local and international patenting • Mechanisms to market and promote available technologies • Access to licensees • Strong legal counsel for contracts and patent support • Availability of risk capital funding • Alliance management professionals • Inventor commitment and cooperation
TT Revenue potential Distributions of royalties Research Funding from spin-outs Research Funding from Sponsored Research Grants Revenues from service agreements Spin-outs Cash Spin-outs Value Strategic IP Deals
How do academic institutions measure success in technology transfer?Are these the right measurements? • Revenues from industry sponsored research • Revenues from service agreements • Number of patents filed • License agreements executed • New companies formed • Revenues from license fees • Royalties and cash from equity investments paid to the academic institution • Number of products successfully introduced to the market • The impact the products have on our lives