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University Based Technology Transfer

Steve BauerDirector, RERC on Technology Transfer

State of the Science ConferenceRERC on Advancing Cognitive TechnologiesBarriers to the Flow of Intellectual PropertyOctober 25-26, 2007Denver, Colorado

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Acknowledgements

• NIDRR

• RERC on Advancing Cognitive Technologies– Cathy Bodine, Michael Lightner

• RERC on Technology Transfer– UB colleagues & friends

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Patents and Trademarks Act

• Governing legislation– Nonprofits receiving federal $ (universities+)– Assigns IP ownership to non-profits

• Objectives– utilization of Federal R&D inventions– small business benefitting from Federal R&D– collaboration of nonprofits and private sector– increase competition and enterprise– commercialize Federal R&D inventions

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Patents and Trademarks Act

• Assignee responsibilities– disclose assignment to funding agency– seek patent protection for invention– grant non-exclusive rights to funding agency– commercialize invention– cannot re-assign invention– share royalties with inventor

Public benefit…NOT university enrichment

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TTO Metrics• Royalties+• # Licenses• # Equity Positions• # Patents• # Patent Applications• # Market Reports• # Disclosures (Faculty)

Corollaries: home runs, large & known markets, health sciences & engineering, IP gatekeepers…

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AUTM 2004 Annual Survey

• 196 universities• 96 of 100 top universities• 84.5% of respondents (196 of 232)

• $40.2B total revenue

• $27.6B federal 65.7%• $2.9B private 7.2% [25%]

• $1.4B royalty+ 3.5%

9.6~1.0

total > federal > private > license

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Business Metrics

• Students• Faculty• Infrastructure• Collaborative research (non-IP)• Consortia (IP)• Technology

– licensing– start ups

Reference: AUTM 2006, U. Minnesota Manufacturer Survey

In all cases, IP needs to be

resolved up front

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Faculty Metrics

• Research• Funding

– State & Federal– Corporate

• Publications• Patents…• Tenure• Teaching• Mentorship• Service• Recognition

NOT disclosuresNOT intellectual propertyNOT business cultureNOT startupsNOT SBIR/STTR

Disclosure ~ conference paper? Patent ~ journal paper?License ~ grant?

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Recommendations

• University– new success metrics (total > private/public > royalty),

combine TTO & SR, TTO (service provider), faculty AND corporations (customers), new TTO funding formula

• Faculty– new faculty metrics, regular proactive communication,

teach (business culture, disclosures, intellectual property, business start up, SBIR/STTR…)

• Disclosure– short, lay, market, technology, competition, IP,

business plan, contact, references

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Recommendations

• Companies– adopt company metrics, establish network, regular

proactive communication, practice business culture, all sizes & types, champion

• Brokering – inventor > direct marketing > reputable journals >>

other

• Intellectual property– adopt due diligence (intent of B.D.), patent, don’t fight

over “new” IP (with companies, other universities)

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Recommendations

• Licensing– exploratory, access to inventor

• Development– SBIR/STTR, R&D facilities, on campus R&D,

incubators, start up funding, non-IP R&D, consortia

• Other– knowledge & experience, contracts & collaborations

business, technical, market… legal

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Questions?

Thank You!