Bar-Ilan R&D

Thessaloniki - March 2013

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 Scientist of 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 UniversityResearch

– 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 commercialisable product. 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- UniversityClear 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 commercializationResearchInvention DisclosureAssessment

Claims to Ownership Feasibility and Scope of Protection- PatentabilityCommercial Potential and Value- MarketabilityStage of Development Commitment of Inventor(s)

ProtectionMarketingLicensingCommercializationPatience..patience..patience: Revenue

In the lab

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 planningDevelop skills, capability and profile

Possible difficulties in collaborationsMismatch 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.

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Success FactorsOverall research qualityStaffing office with skilled professionalsFinancial resources for growth Ability to fund the cost of local and international patentingMechanisms to market and promote available technologiesAccess to licenseesStrong legal counsel for contracts and patent supportAvailability of risk capital fundingAlliance management professionals

Inventor commitment and cooperation

TT Revenue potential

Distributions of royalties Research Funding from spin-outsResearch Funding from Sponsored Research GrantsRevenues from service agreementsSpin-outs CashSpin-outs ValueStrategic IP Deals

How do academic institutions measure success in technology transfer?Are these the right measurements?

Revenues from industry sponsored researchRevenues from service agreementsNumber of patents filed License agreements executed New companies formed Revenues from license fees Royalties and cash from equity investments paid to the academic institutionNumber of products successfully introduced to the market The impact the products have on our lives