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Tech Transfer from Academia. Guru Parulkar parulkar@stanford.edu. Based on Limited Experience Many many exceptions. Lot of evidence to suggest Academic research can lead to significant commercial value creation Academic technology transfer is hard.
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Tech Transfer from Academia Guru Parulkarparulkar@stanford.edu Based on Limited Experience Many many exceptions
Lot of evidence to suggest • Academic research can lead to significant commercial value creation • Academic technology transfer is hard
Many Reasons… • Lot of university research not relevant • Developers of technology not motivated enough to participate What if technology is right and people are motivated?
Tussle with University Tech Office • Univ wants a fraction of the final value • Breaks everything • Entrepreneurs • Don’t have much capital • Want to conserve equity So cannot please university Univ Focuses on Value Time of Tech Transfer Value Creation for a Successful Company Tech developers more important than the exclusive license
Tussle with Technology Developers • Developers want too much equity given their creation represents most of the value ignoring • Risks • Future developments needed • Investors and managers • Want to conserve equity Value Time of Tech Transfer Value Creation for a Successful Company Only couple of developers are key - identifying them critical
Stanford Approach • Tech office “metrics of success” • Licensing revenue is not one of them but • Successful technology transfer • Tech office is a partner • Wanting to help faculty and students as opposed to adversarial negotiator
Final Takeaways Academic research can lead to significant commercial value creation Successful tech transfer from academia requires • Identification of technology that is relevant • Persuading developers to be part of tech transfer • with reasonable expectations • Change in universities’ tech office approach • Metrics of success: not licensing revenue but actual tech transfer • Open source is also forcing this change