Partnerships for Innovation Workshop
March 30 - April 1, 2008

Workshop 2: Models for Technology Transfer

Moderators:
Session a: Ramesh Kolluru and Ken Walsh

Session b: Chris Kohler and Morton Barlaz

Universities of all sizes and in many different locations are engaged in promoting the transfer of technology from campus discoveries. The goals of university technology transfer often differ across institutions, as do the procedures used in the technology transfer process. For instance, a university interested in having its technology transfer function support local economic development may not set maximizing licensing revenue as a primary objective for its technology transfer office. Also, some universities encourage the development of faculty spin-off companies, even though the technology may be able to reap sizable license revenue from existing industry. Some universities have taken an aggressive position in encouraging technology entrepreneurship through the creation of technology incubators and technology parks. NSF-PFI grantees represent a wide range of institutions including major research universities; universities located in some of the nation’s leading technology districts; smaller universities, four-year colleges and community colleges with limited research activity; and universities, four-year colleges and community colleges in rural areas lacking many of the ingredients of innovation-based economies. This session brings together PFI grantees from across the country to share what they have accomplished through their technology transfer activities and what models are successful.

Questions for consideration:

1. Would investigators in the audience like to share experiences?

2. Should there be requirements on how to assess license fees when the research is funded by the public sector?

3. How significant a source of revenue is this for universities?

4. Is there a difference in philosophy between land grant universities, other public universities and private universities?

5. What is the role of what I will call unofficial technology transfer (short courses and other extension related work)?

6. Is technology transfer (TT) important to your university? If so, why is it important? What are the goals of your TT program?

7. What models of TT have you pursued? What works and does not? Have you tried non-traditional approaches such as getting alumni or local entrepreneurs involved with taking a university-based venture forward? How do you know who to “transfer” your technology to?

8. Reactive versus Proactive – how do you best characterize your program? What tactics work in developing a proactive TT program?

9. Is the culture of entrepreneurship and TT institutionalized across your university? What rewards/penalties exist for faculty participation in TT?

10.TT currently seems to sit at the perimeter/outskirts of the core university functions of – teach, research, publish, etc. What has worked (or not) in bringing it “closer” to the core?

11. What role do technology incubators serve in the TT enterprise?

12. How do you measure the success of your TT program?