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Opportunity Identification

FITT – Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer –

2 | March 2010 Opportunity Identification

Definition

• In the context of public service, technology transfer aims at bringing the results of research laboratories to public use and benefits. The conversion of scientific findings into useful commercial products or processes is a way to bring innovative technologies to the society.

• In the scope of technology transfer, the detection of opportunities is the way research organisations identify the technologies that could be successfully turned into commercial products.

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New ideas/Technologies

What? How?

• Detection is the starting point of the technology transfer process.

• Answer the question: “What can be brought to the market?” before “How can it be brought to the market?”

Position in the valorisation chain

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Research activitiesNEW IDEAS/TECHNOLOGIES

Position in the valorisation chain

• In reality, valorisation process is a more complex, iterative process. All steps are closely interrelated.

• A lot of time and money is dedicated by Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) to the protection and exploitation of the inventions that have been detected.

As a consequence, a “quality” detection should also involve a first assessment of the commercial potential before taking the ideas further. Some protection and exploitation (such as pre-marketing) aspects have to be considered from the start.

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The challenges

Quantitative : increasing the number of invention disclosures

• The goal is to ensure that there are no missed opportunities. The more invention declarations are filled in by the researchers, the more technologies have chances to reach the market.

Qualitative: increasing the commercial potential of the invention portfolio

• Intellectual property coming from public research is more easily protected than exploited. However, patents are costly and the search for the appropriate commercialization is time-consuming. A more selective filing of patents would resulting in a higher exploitation rate of the patents. With regard to this aspect, the early assessment of the technology and the market is crucial.

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Success factors

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Core components

Creation of Transfer

Awareness Evaluation

Detection of promising inventions for industrial applications

Detection & Monitoring

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Processes available in the toolbox

• Technology transfer offices in Europe have implemented processes and tools to improve the detection of technologies with commercial potential. Some of the processes target the increase of the number of invention disclosures while other target the improvement of their quality by assessing the commercial perspectives.

• Some of these methods have been selected by the FITT partners to be included in the toolbox, providing a range of existing initiatives on the following topics:

• CREATION OF TRANSFER AWARENESS

• DETECTION AND MONITORING

• EVALUATION OF TRANSFER PROJECTS

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• Creation of transfer awareness• Technology transfer is not always clearly established in researcher’s and

manager’s mindset. Initiatives targeting the awareness of teams on TT support the detection by disseminating the basic rules of technology transfer and explaining the mission of the technology transfer office.

• Detection and Monitoring• To have a clear overview of the research activities and outputs, in order to do

proactive detection (« tracking down » the inventions). Invention disclosures constitute a fundamental tool in this regard.

• Evaluation of Transfer Projects• First assessment of the invention, to confirm the interest to proceed further and

select the most valuable projects in case of limited resources. Usually involves a multiple analysis (quality of invention, IP, market, team) lead by the TTO with support of the researcher.

Processes available in the toolbox

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Practices available in the toolbox

Network of Technology Transfer Contacts

Researchers’ consulting activity

Recommendation letter for inventors

Entrepreneurial skills trainingPartnerships Agreement

IPR guidelines

CREATION OF TRANSFER AWARENESS DETECTION AND MONITORING

Quick assessment tool for business ideas (NABC)

Evaluation criteria

Technology transfer follow-up committee

Invention disclosure

EVALUATION

Partnership satisfaction &impact survey

Technology Transfer Guide forResearch teams

Innovation meetings

Valorisation Opportunity Workshops

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Pros & Cons

CONs

• … But no system/tools for systematic analysis.

• Detection is the part of the technology transfer that is difficult to harmonise, because it relies a lot on human resources aspects (experience and workforce)

• Market watch is crucial for a pro-active detection (“market pull” ) but it is often underestimated (lack of time, information or resources)

PROs

• A lot of information is available to do a “screening” of the projects (lab notebooks, activity reports, grant applications) …

• Environment and cultural mindset are slowly changing : young researchers are introduced to technology transfer during their studies/ doctoral schools

• Efficient detection is useful to all stakeholders. When technology transfer officers are involved early in the process, they are able to provide researchers with the appropriate counseling. Their activity is facilitated if all options remain open.