Technology Transfer for Small and Medium Sized

Enterprises

John WhelanTechnology Transfer Case Manager

TCD

Intellectual Property Ireland 20103rd International Intellectual Property

Conference for Ireland, Dublin, Ireland18th February 2010

(all views presented here are personal and do not represent the views of Trinity College Dublin)

Technology Transfer:

transfer of technological know-how

developed in government or university laboratories

to the private sector

SME

Knowledge Economy Cycle

Cash

Knowledge

License

Tax

Government University

IndustryIntellectualProperty

Technology Transfer

Strengthening Initiative

TTSI

But is this research stuff relevant to my SME?

Possible Modes of Interaction

1. If they build it you will come

2. Collaborative Research

Collaborative Funding Agencies

Collaborative Funding Agencies

• Innovation Vouchers– €5k – New co-funded and

pooled scheme

• Innovation Partnership– Company provides

minimum of 20% in cash– University must apply

• Overheads!!• VAT

20%Company

80% EI

• Translational Research

• Not-for-profit research centre dedicated to deriving marketplace value from innovative digital technology research

• Academics taken out of the comfort zone

• NDRC takes care of all commercialisation– but will share benefits with company and university

• PhD or for 3 years at 8k per year

• Post Doc for two years

• Company puts up 1/3

• IRCSET the other 2/3

• VAT!

TCD 2009

Collaborative Funding Agencies

University Research Income

Spin-outs

Spinouts per €100m

Cambridge (2007)

€320 2 0.6

Oxford (2007)

€263 7 2.6

Imperial (05/07)

€294 11 3.7

MIT (008) €896 20 2.2

TCD (09) €89 8 11.125

Sources: UK HESA HE BCI Survey 2007 & 2005 Unico Metrics Report, MIT Reports to the President 2007–2008 & MIT TLO Statistics for Fiscal Year 2008

University IP Licence

• Very, Very favourable terms• Retain rights for teaching research

purposes• Reluctant to Assign I.P. (initially)

– but can be exclusive, word-wide, perpetual

• Performance Clauses– Prevent company sitting on the IP

• University takes Equity in Campus Company

Statement 1:

The Return to the Irish Economy

from Government Funded Research

in Universities

is not Sufficient

Statement 2:

Universities are too tough on IP terms

Universities are too tough on IP terms

The Return to the Irish Economy from

Government Funded Research in Universities is not Sufficient

Tech Transfer