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“What do they know of Technology Transfer who only Technology Transfer know?”
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Somewhere, always, a game of cricket is being played, and the world is a better place for that. C L R James was a famous writer, and cricket writer, from Trinidad who posed the question “What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?” in his 1963 book Beyond a Boundary. To understand cricket we need to understand the historical, political, social and cultural context in which it is played; and if you understand cricket, you will understand everything.
And so with Technology Transfer; we need to understand more how ‘it’ (the activity) and ‘we’ (the people who do it) fit in to the wider world. We need to ‘get out more’ as the saying goes. I advocate staff exchanges between TT people and people in the following areas: university labs, patent attorney firms, lawyers firms, into government departments, research funders, charities, foundations, industrial company business development units, investment firms, science parks, and others. You go there for a week, or more, a few weeks over a year; they come to you. Common sense, a piece of paper, and trust can solve for confidentiality.
Mastering TT
In the UK, we need a university to develop a Masters degree in University Technology Transfer. TT is highly complex, with lots of moving parts, requiring a breadth of knowledge and skills. It is becoming more important for institutions, governments, building the knowledge-based economy, delivering sustainable economic growth built on science. It only works (for universities who pay for it) when it is done with rigour, excellence; otherwise things fall apart, patent positions, legal transactions, business opportunity.
The current training and learning opportunities are mainly on the job from colleagues; mentoring (eg TenU); short courses (eg KE UK, ASTP); guides, reports; and, oh yes, there’s a book on it as well. These can add up to a full enriched education in Technology Transfer, although few involve encountering the full complexity and rigour that is necessary to do the job properly. We want to develop a cohort of TT professionals with in-depth, taught and learned knowledge, the foundation and future of the profession in the UK.
And the next thing
Research collaborations. Spin-outs are all about the excitement of new companies. What about research collaborations with existing companies? The NCUB Collaboration Progress Monitor is the go-to place to find out what is happening. The 2024 Report launched in early December gives the 2022-23 data. Generally, things are going down: interactions between universities and business, SME engagements, Large business engagements, income, licences, patents granted, but – more spin-outs. And also looking up: big collaborations may be the way ahead. In the UK, Rio Tinto are putting US $150m into 10 year funding for the Centre for New Materials led by Imperial College. In Japan Daikin Industries have put US $60m into a 10 year collaborate with Tokyo University. Amidst the newsworthy green-shoots excitement of spin-outs, let's not forget about how the research can be funded.
The Plumber
- “Oh, I see, that’s great, so, you work at the University, that’s lovely. What’s your job there?”
-- “I’m the Plumber. I connect up the pipes and help things flow along them, and then out into business and society. They bring me in when they need to connect things up and get things flowing.”
- “Oh, I see, lovely. Is that what they used to call Technology Transfer?”
-- “Yes, exactly, that’s the one.”
'Let’s make some new things happen'
These are the closing words from OUI CEO Dr Mairi Gibbs in her excellent speech in November; January is as good a time as any to start.
Happy Holidays, Happy Christmas, Happy New Year.
And so with Technology Transfer; we need to understand more how ‘it’ (the activity) and ‘we’ (the people who do it) fit in to the wider world. We need to ‘get out more’ as the saying goes. I advocate staff exchanges between TT people and people in the following areas: university labs, patent attorney firms, lawyers firms, into government departments, research funders, charities, foundations, industrial company business development units, investment firms, science parks, and others. You go there for a week, or more, a few weeks over a year; they come to you. Common sense, a piece of paper, and trust can solve for confidentiality.
Mastering TT
In the UK, we need a university to develop a Masters degree in University Technology Transfer. TT is highly complex, with lots of moving parts, requiring a breadth of knowledge and skills. It is becoming more important for institutions, governments, building the knowledge-based economy, delivering sustainable economic growth built on science. It only works (for universities who pay for it) when it is done with rigour, excellence; otherwise things fall apart, patent positions, legal transactions, business opportunity.
The current training and learning opportunities are mainly on the job from colleagues; mentoring (eg TenU); short courses (eg KE UK, ASTP); guides, reports; and, oh yes, there’s a book on it as well. These can add up to a full enriched education in Technology Transfer, although few involve encountering the full complexity and rigour that is necessary to do the job properly. We want to develop a cohort of TT professionals with in-depth, taught and learned knowledge, the foundation and future of the profession in the UK.
And the next thing
Research collaborations. Spin-outs are all about the excitement of new companies. What about research collaborations with existing companies? The NCUB Collaboration Progress Monitor is the go-to place to find out what is happening. The 2024 Report launched in early December gives the 2022-23 data. Generally, things are going down: interactions between universities and business, SME engagements, Large business engagements, income, licences, patents granted, but – more spin-outs. And also looking up: big collaborations may be the way ahead. In the UK, Rio Tinto are putting US $150m into 10 year funding for the Centre for New Materials led by Imperial College. In Japan Daikin Industries have put US $60m into a 10 year collaborate with Tokyo University. Amidst the newsworthy green-shoots excitement of spin-outs, let's not forget about how the research can be funded.
The Plumber
- “Oh, I see, that’s great, so, you work at the University, that’s lovely. What’s your job there?”
-- “I’m the Plumber. I connect up the pipes and help things flow along them, and then out into business and society. They bring me in when they need to connect things up and get things flowing.”
- “Oh, I see, lovely. Is that what they used to call Technology Transfer?”
-- “Yes, exactly, that’s the one.”
'Let’s make some new things happen'
These are the closing words from OUI CEO Dr Mairi Gibbs in her excellent speech in November; January is as good a time as any to start.
Happy Holidays, Happy Christmas, Happy New Year.
The snow came early and the lavender was flowering late
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