Abstract
This piece of research is focused on providing a review of the software solutions that exist when it comes to mechanisms that govern the management of intellectual property. It takes a deeper look at requirements within the university transfer office domain. Universities are a genuine source of knowledge. They have been identified not just as knowledge hubs but also as the spaces where innovations are born. These innovations then make their way into the market through the different industries they serve, becoming products that gain the attention of actual consumers. Given the magnitude of the innovations being developed in different universities around the world, it is imperative that mechanisms for the safety of this knowledge also be put into place. The world has evolved into a knowledge economy, where knowledge is an asset and something that can create profitability. This means that not protecting the knowledge that is being created can only lead to a loss in the future. Managing intellectual property, therefore, is not only a matter of procedure but one of great importance. Solutions that are easily accessible, cost-effective, and time-effective are essential. Thus, the goal of this article is to provide an overview of existing software (SW) solutions suitable for managing technology and knowledge transfer at universities based on requirements from the technology transfer office at university and specified using the model of the whole process from inventor until patent office. University Technology Transfer (TT) is a bit different in comparison to TT at companies. This gap is shown in the article using modelling of process, states, and class diagrams of a university Technology Transfer Office (TTO). Based on process definition and TTO responsibilities, a review of available SW solutions is done for 10 selected examples, as well as a related literature analysis. Findings and implications are summarized at the end of article in the context of specific needs of a university TTO, while major implications are shown as a problem of priority definition of every university TTO, namely, in the sense of value of SW solutions for intellectual property (IP) management, reporting possibilities, and representing IP and know-how.
Highlights
Countries that have decided to promote science, research, and innovation as key national priorities are among the most prosperous today
Technology Transfer Office (TTO) have a significant part to play within this process, studies done in the past note that other parts of the universities involved can play complementary roles to help
As the needs of company TTO and especially university TTO varies by countries, different law systems or different university forms/decrees, as summarized in Table 1, allow the strengthening of the most important parameters for specific TTOs and to narrow the number of SW solutions which need to be fully analyzed by TTOs, or which need to be contacted for price options or other aspects of specific TTOs
Summary
Countries that have decided to promote science, research, and innovation as key national priorities are among the most prosperous today. There are several examples of journal articles published in recent years with the goal of defining technology transfer at the university level, specific country issues, searching for some SW solutions, and more. Our team added some points to this discussion by Maresova, Stemberkova, and Fadeyi [2], where we conducted similar research into the models, processes, and roles that universities play when it comes to the management of technology transfers. It discussed investing, marketing, internal strategizing, and academic entrepreneurship and policies.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have