Available Technologies: Web Design for Technology Transfer from Public Education and Research Institutions

Abstract

Universities and public research centers have been looking for ways to transfer technologies created in their research activities to companies that promote business and innovation. One of the strategies adopted is to provide technology licensing opportunities via the web. There are several studies in the literature that indicate the potential of the web for technology transfer and others that point out limitations, given the complexity of the technology market. This article investigates websites with technologies available for business at universities and public research centers in order to propose a classification of these sites based on design attributes and to identify aspects relevant to the users’ experience. Twenty public institutions of reference that occupy the first places in the international ranking of quality of presence on the web were considered for analysis. Based on this analysis, we propose a classification of websites composed of three types: proactive transactions, interactive search tools, and low interaction. The findings indicate widespread use of the web for the dissemination of technologies - all institutions have at least one website with patents or business inventions. The findings also suggest that proactive functionalities, quality of search engines, transactional resources and technology aggregators are relevant aspects for the users’ experience.