Technology Transfer Approach Research Articles

Impact of aquaculture field school on community fish farming

Community based aquaculture, a subset of the rural aquaculture, is characterised with low fish production level. Sustainable improvement of productivity levels in such resources has remained a challenge. The study adopted a novel approach of technology transfer through aquaculture field school which involves provision of technical advices and no physical inputs. The article tries to capture its impact on fish production levels and economics of community based aquaculture. The study was conducted during 2009-2012 in Khurda and Puri districts of Odisha by surveying randomly selected farmers of community ponds. Demonstration, need-based skill training, field days, workshops and field visits were organised periodically for fish farmers involved in community based aquaculture management. In order to study the impact of technical inputs, data were collected from 31 randomly selected village community ponds. Farmers provided with technical advices could improve pond management practices significantly (p<0.05). This included eradication of aquatic weeds, removal of weeds and predatory fishes, enhancing pond productivity, stocking fingerlings and/or yearlings, partially feeding fish with locally available feed. This has resulted in better fish production (@ 2192 kg ha-1yr-1) than pre-project period (@1081 kg ha-1yr-1). Motivational drive, need based technical advice and follow up action brought behavioral change in fish farmers for higher investment for intensification of pond management. Average expenditure in community based aquaculture rose significantly (p<0.05) from `40146 ha-1yr-1 to `87071 ha-1yr-1. Average net returns from community ponds at the end of the project period increased to `95068 ha-1 yr-1 against `34057 ha-1yr-1.

Impact of aquaculture field school on community fish farming

Community based aquaculture, a subset of the rural aquaculture, is characterised with low fish production level. Sustainable improvement of productivity levels in such resources has remained a challenge. The study adopted a novel approach of technology transfer through aquaculture field school which involves provision of technical advices and no physical inputs. The article tries to capture its impact on fish production levels and economics of community based aquaculture. The study was conducted during 2009-2012 in Khurda and Puri districts of Odisha by surveying randomly selected farmers of community ponds. Demonstration, need-based skill training, field days, workshops and field visits were organised periodically for fish farmers involved in community based aquaculture management. In order to study the impact of technical inputs, data were collected from 31 randomly selected village community ponds. Farmers provided with technical advices could improve pond management practices significantly (p&lt;0.05). This included eradication of aquatic weeds, removal of weeds and predatory fishes, enhancing pond productivity, stocking fingerlings and/or yearlings, partially feeding fish with locally available feed. This has resulted in better fish production (@ 2192 kg ha-1yr-1) than pre-project period (@1081 kg ha-1yr-1). Motivational drive, need based technical advice and follow up action brought behavioral change in fish farmers for higher investment for intensification of pond management. Average expenditure in community based aquaculture rose significantly (p&lt;0.05) from `40146 ha-1yr-1 to `87071 ha-1yr-1. Average net returns from community ponds at the end of the project period increased to `95068 ha-1 yr-1 against `34057 ha-1yr-1.

Lean agile technology transfer approach

Despite many institutional efforts that have been run in the last decade to professionalise technology transfer offices (TTOs) and to polish the intellectual property rights route, the success rate of most universities to license inventions to economic players is relatively low. Comparing technology transfer (TT) perspectives revealed by the academic and business worlds, an extended TT model, called lean agile technology transfer (LATT), is proposed by this paper. The proposed approach is lean because of the value-added activities dedicated to the increase of TT effectiveness. It is agile because of the specific activities for handling inconsistency and lack of information. The paper ends with recommendations for universities to reengineer their TTOs towards better facing the challenges of the forthcoming business environment.

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON TECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS IN POULTRY FARMING FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL LIVELIHOOD MANAGEMENT

This paper summarizes the results of a study conducted to assess the status of rural livelihood management during 2012-2013 in Central Odisha and the reasons for household adoption of interventions for poultry production and technology transfer approach specifying attributes of innovations sampling 240 respondents from 4 villages. Significant difference was observed in quality chicks (z=3.0), scientific housing (z =5.0) and feed management (z=2.5).The correlation coefficient between socioeconomic condition and adoption of l interventions in poultry farming reveals t=3.72 indicating highly significant in rainfed situations. Multichannel information (t=6.54), pro-poor approach (t=11.5), financing (t =10.4) have significant influence on poultry farmers.

The commercialization of academic outputs in the administrative sciences: A multiple‐case study in a university‐based business school

AbstractTechnology transfer, and its focus on research commercialization, is gaining popularity in all academic fields as a way to better demonstrate universities' external impacts. We conducted a multiple case‐study of three commercialization projects in Organizational Development, Information Technology, and Marketing, which took place in a university business school. We explored to what extent the technology transfer model of commercializing academic outputs could apply in business schools. We also examined its potential value compared to other ways of sharing academic expertise. Although the technology transfer approach appears to work, the three projects exhibited crucial characteristics that markedly differ from traditional technology transfer. Compared to other forms of knowledge uses, what makes research commercialization so attractive is that it is readily observable and traceable. However, it raises some fundamental questions about knowledge production and its use. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

SIMILARITIES OF SUCCESSFUL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER THROUGH NEW VENTURES

Especially established industries, like the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, rely on effective and efficient technology transfer to maintain their competitiveness. Academic spin-offs, corporate spin-outs, and internal start-ups, as different types of new ventures, can be used for technology transfer from universities and research institutions to companies as well as between or within companies. Especially internal start-ups are a new approach for company internal technology transfer from research departments to business units. Based on 12 case studies from the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in Germany and Switzerland, which were identified and developed by narrative interviews with new ventures and parent organisations, like companies, universities, and research institutions, technology transfer through new ventures has been analysed. Despite the various backgrounds and challenges, the different types of new ventures show much more similarities than dissimilarities. Therefore, learnings from academic spin-offs can be transferred to corporate spin-outs and internal start-ups in the context of technology transfer.

Development of Technology and Popularization of Biological Control Agents for Integrated Management of Coconut Leaf Rot Disease*

Coconut is an important social crop of livelihood concern for millions of small- medium farmers. Leaf rot disease (due to a fungal complex-Colletotrichum gloeosoprioides, Exserohilum rostratum and Fusarium solani as major pathogens), in association with root (wilt), is a major problem of coconut in southern districts of Kerala besides certain districts in Tamil Nadu etc. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) has evolved biological control technology for integrated management of leaf rot to improve the health of disease affected palms. Application of biocontrol agents in the disease affected areas was aimed for creation of widespread awareness on eco-friendly disease management, crop sustenance and in realizing human resource potential. Effective strains of biocontrol agents-Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viride-were evolved, their multiplications in media including coconut water standardized and the antagonists’ processed into bioformulations (totally 2000 Kg. talc formulations evolved distributed/utilized). Coconut gardens and rural groups in various districts of southern Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur), various blocks in Theni district besides specified blocks in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu could be selected. Through effective contacts with extension-developmental agencies, coconut Research &amp; Development (R&amp;D) meetings etc. reached out to rural people and implemented the technology of mass production-use of biological control agents, and knowledge imparted to rural people. Conducted trainings and allied programmes by on-campus trainings (396 beneficiaries), off-campus trainings (1854 beneficiaries), household/field contacts of rural people (689 beneficiaries) and other awareness programmes encompassing lectures, interfaces etc. (661 beneficiaries) and enlightened women, rural people, youths etc. representing various locations (totally 3600 beneficiaries in three years). Field demonstrations of disease management with biological control agents in coconut gardens (55 units) besides clusters-compact gardens (1850 coconut palms) were also done. Also, promotional materials were made available to various stakeholders. An innovative participatory programme implementation approach for technology transfer was the outcome of the work. Creation of widespread awareness, percolation of knowledge on biocontrol agents to women and other rural people could be visualized that would go a long way.

Fostering technology transfer in industrial biotechnology by academic spin-offs

Industrial biotechnology is the commercial application of biotechnology using cells or components of cells, like enzymes, for industrial production processes including consumer goods, bioenergy and biomaterials. In the last years this area has gone through a fast technological development resulting in a high number of basic technologies based on research efforts at universities and research institutions. But a technology transfer gap exists between basic research and the commercialisation of the results. This gap can be closed by academic spin-offs which manage the technology transfer from universities and research institutions to industrial companies. After the spin-off process, the technology is further developed within the new venture normally using additional resources from external investors. As soon as the technology reaches a certain grade of maturity, the spin-offs can co-operate with an established company and work for them as a service provider or be acquired. The chosen approach of technology transfer depends on the type of company. Whereas multinational enterprises (MNEs) are very active in making new technologies available both by acquiring spin-offs or engaging them as service providers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are focused on partnering with spin-offs, due to limited financial and management resources.

Technology transfer and scale down model development strategy for biotherapeutics produced in mammalian cells

Background The goal of manufacturing process development for drug substance and drug product is to establish a commercial process capable of consistently producing drug substance/drug product of the intended quality. Based on regulatory requirements, the manufacturing process has to be characterized prior to process validation. Since performing the characterization study at the manufacturing scale is not practically feasible, development of a scale down model that represents the performance of the commercial process is essential to achieve reliable process characterization. The developed scale down model could also be applied for cell line selection, process and medium development, raw material evaluation, limit of cell age studies, process parameter excursions, etc... Process development and commercial production should not be on the critical path to market despite the compressed time-to-market expectations. That is why Technology Transfer (TT) is a vulnerable time for companies. According to World Health Organization, Transfer of technology is defined as “a logical procedure that controls the transfer of any process together with its documentation and professional expertise between development and manufacture or between manufacture sites”. In the pharmaceutical industry, Technology Transfer refers to the processes that are needed for successful progress from drug discovery to product development to clinical trials to full-scale commercialization or it is the process by which a developer of technology makes its technology available to commercial partner that will exploit the technology. This article describes the strategies and activities required to develop a scale down model. It also sketches a Technology Transfer approach for bioprocesses by focusing on the upstream part of a cell culture based process.

Technology Transfer Models Between Industrial Biotechnology Companies and Academic Spin-Offs

Technology Transfer Models Between Industrial Biotechnology Companies and Academic Spin-Offs

Insights into potato innovation systems in Bolivia, Ethiopia, Peru and Uganda

In the last 50years, theoretical and practical approaches to promoting agricultural innovations have been evolving. Initial innovation diffusion theories led to a linear, top-down approach of technology transfer. However, changes occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, such as the economic structural adjustment which caused a dramatic decrease in governmental agricultural research and extension services in several developing countries. Simultaneously a number of new stakeholders (NGOs, private companies, farmer organizations, local governments, etc.) started to contribute to agricultural innovations more actively in the 1990s and 2000s. As the changes occurred, scholars began proposing new theories, such as the innovation systems approach, to explain how multiple stakeholders interact, exchange information, generate knowledge and develop innovations for solving problems. The paper describes the results of a rapid appraisal of potato innovation systems in Bolivia, Ethiopia, Peru and Uganda. The method was useful for identifying components and limitations in the system at pilot sites. Results indicate that the systems had similar types of components, namely national and local government organizations, NGOs, private companies, farmer organizations and media; another common feature was the limited interaction among organizational components, which reduced farmer access to information, technologies, organizations, markets and services. However, the role of organizational components was different across countries. Farmer organizations played a limited role at the pilot sites in these countries, except in Bolivia. The role of national governments was also limited in Bolivia and Peru, but played a major role in Ethiopia and Uganda at the moment of the study. Local governments were starting to play an important role in the four sites. NGOs played an active role in most countries, and the private companies in charge of input supply were more active in Bolivia and Peru. Media (radio) were present, but they were not contributing significantly to disseminating information for innovation. The International Potato Center (CIP) was present in all the systems, playing a role of innovation brokerage. Results indicate that different types of intervention would be needed for each country to strengthen the roles that components were already playing, but should look for improving interactions among components. In Ethiopia, strengthening innovation capacity of potato-related government organizations would be desirable to start the process, but in Bolivia, Peru and Uganda, enhancing interactions and coordination among government organizations, NGOs, private companies and farmer organizations would be needed, for example, to improve farmer access to quality planting material and markets. The role of farmer organizations and the private companies in charge of input supply need to be strengthened in the potato innovation systems in all places. The rapid appraisal of potato innovation systems has shown to be a method with potential to start understanding the complexity of the innovation systems and identify potential entry points for interventions.

Academic spin-offs, corporate spin-outs and company internal start-ups as technology transfer approach

As a rule, a technology transfer gap exists between research and development and the commercialisation of the results. This article investigates the role of new ventures for technology transfer from universities and research institutions as well as between or within companies to close this gap. Based on case studies in Germany and Switzerland, different examples of this technology transfer approach have been analysed. Academic spin-offs can help to transfer technology from universities and research institutions to industry especially if there is the need for additional funding to further develop the technology. Corporate spin-outs can be used for technology transfer between companies as an alternative to closing operations should these no longer fit into the parent organisation. Internal start-ups were identified as a new approach for company internal technology transfer from research departments to business units focused on commercial operations to overcome innovation barriers within companies.

Technology transfer approaches for early stage desalinisation technologies: a case study

Fresh water scarcity is one of the major challenges facing our society. Established technologies exist, though they are still very expensive preventing them from the immediate use and possible final solution. In this work it is analysed an innovative technology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for desalination, using ionic concentration polarisation (ICP). The economic viability and a potential business model to deploy this technology are described further in this work. Construction of a prototype with several microchannels, and product development are still necessary, but the adoption of the niche market for small emergency devices to produce fresh water for boats can potentially be a successful path to deploy this technology.

Accelerating the transfer and diffusion of energy saving technologies steel sector experience—Lessons learned

It is imperative to tackle the issue globally mobilizing all available policies and measures. One of the important ones among them is technology transfer and diffusion. By utilizing international co-operation, industry can promote such measures in two ways: through government policy and through industry's own voluntary initiative. Needless to say, various government policies and measures play essential role. By the same token, industry initiative can complement them. There is much literature documenting the former. On the contrary there are few on the latter. This paper sheds light on the latter. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of global voluntary sectoral approach for technology diffusion and transfer based on steel sector experience.The goal is to contribute toward building a worldwide low-carbon society by manufacturing goods with less energy through international cooperation of each sector. The authors believe that the voluntary sectoral approach is an effective method with political and practical feasibilities, and hope to see the continued growth of more initiatives based on this approach.

Brazilian university technology transfer to rural areas

In agriculture, there is a difference between average yield obtained by farmers and crop potential. There is technology available to increase yields, but not all farmers have access to it and/or use this information. This clearly characterizes an extension and technology transference problem. There are several technology transfer systems, but there is no system to fit all conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to create extension solutions according to local conditions. Another rural extension challenge is efficiency, despite continuous funding reductions. One proposal that has resulted from extension reform worldwide has suggested integration between the public and private sectors. The public universities could play the role of training and updating technical assistance of human resources, which is the one of the main aspects that has limited technology transfer. The objective of this study was to identify approaches to promote technology transfer generated in Brazilian public universities to rural areas through literature review. An experimental approach of technology transfer is presented here where a Brazilian university extension Vice-chancellor incorporates professionals from consolidated research groups according to demand. In this way, public universities take part of their social functions, by integrating teaching, research, and extension.

Rapid prototyping – a technology transfer approach for development of rapid tooling

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply rapid prototyping (RP) philosophy as a technology transfer in industries to take its time and cost‐effective advantages for development of rapid tooling (RT).Design/methodology/approachExperimentations are performed for development of RT for sand casting, investment casting and plastic moulding applications.FindingsThis paper reports the procedures developed for manufacture of production tooling using RP. A cost/benefit model is developed to justify implementation of RP as a technology transfer in industries.Research limitations/implicationsThe examples are limited to parts build by fused deposition modelling RP process. However, the concepts experimented may be applied for other RP processes.Practical implicationsRP has proved to be a cost‐effective and time‐efficient approach for development of RT, thereby ensuring possibility for technology transfer in casting as well as plastic industries.Originality/valueThis is the pioneer attempt towards quantifying RP benefits, in view of technology transfer. This paper presents original case studies and findings on the basis of experimentations performed in foundries.

Transferência de tecnologia entre a universidade e a indústria

Abordagem conceitual de tecnologia, inovação tecnológica e de transferência de tecnologia entre universidade e indústria como transferência de conhecimento (tácito e codificado), como base teórica que permite incluir os serviços de informação como componente relevante para o sucesso da transferência. Análise do processo de transferência de tecnologia, dos mecanismos, dos atores envolvidos em sua execução e da complexidade de sua implantação.

Participatory technology transfer (PTT) – an innovative approach in root (wilt) affected coconut area

The awareness, knowledge, attitude and adoption of the root (wilt) management practices were found to be very low among the farmers of root (wilt) affected area. This disease affects the socio economic conditions due to the reduction in coconut yield. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kerala (India) has developed effective integrated management technology for improving the health and yield of disease affected palms. Due to the perennial nature, prevalence of the disease in the State for more than ten decades, attitude of the farming community and other social/economic constraints, the linear model of Transfer of Technology (TOT) could not create the desirable effect. Hence an innovative Participatory Technology Transfer (PTT) approach was implemented in severely root (wilt) affected district-Alappuzha during 1999-2003. The impact analysis indicated significant improvement in awareness (14 to 32.5), knowledge (19 to 59.5), attitude (22.5 to 36.5) and adoption (16 to 45.5) of practices as well as the scope for scaling up the TOT model in root (wilt) affected areas. The PTT enabled participation of major stakeholders in the TOT process. The categorization of the farmers indicated significant shift to the higher level of awareness from 63.00 to 92.00 %, higher level of knowledge from 14.00 to 74.50 % and higher adoption level from 27.50 to 57.00% after three years of PTT approach implementation.

Alternative Design Scholarship: Working Toward Appropriate Design

Design scholars from diverse fields have attempted to assist marginalized social groups by redirecting design thinking toward their needs. By offering alternatives to dominant design activities, “alternative design” scholarship seeks to understand how unequal power relations are embodied in, and result from, mainstream design practice and products. Alternative design scholars analyze how technologies and other designed artifacts are implicated in larger social problems, such as rampant consumerism, sexism, ecological abuse, lack of user participation and autonomy, and restricted access to built environments, among others. Through these efforts, alternative design scholarship offers designers an opportunity to think about how their work might be directed as wisely and fairly as possible. Efforts to redirect technologies toward the needs of marginalized people have a long and varied history. Dating back to the 1960s and before, technology transfer advocates argued for transferring Western technologies to the third world.1 They hoped to take advantage of the intellectual and financial resources already invested by the West to benefit those who seemed to need technology the most. But it soon became evident that the transferability of technology among contexts is far from straightforward. Limited resource availability (capital, expertise, spare parts, etc.), different perspectives on the nature of the problem/solution, and a lack of familiarity with similar technological systems led to dashed hopes and expensive failures for technology transfers, such as the numerous decentralized power systems fallen into disuse throughout the developing world.2 Technology scholars came to realize that differences between a technology’s developmental context and its use context were significant. In part as a response to failures of technology transfer approaches, “appropriate technologists” argued that context suitability should be central to identifying technologies relevant to poor people of the Third World and other marginalized social groups.3 Developing appropriate technologies required accounting for the needs of others by paying careful attention to the use context of that technology, as well as to local perspectives on the problem to be solved. Attention to contextual particularities became one of the guiding approaches to appropriate technology and, hence, unlike technology transfer scholars, appropriate technology thinking took design as the point of intervention. Through the 1970s, appropriate 1 Werner J. Feld, “The Transfer of Technology to Third World Countries: Political Problems and International Ramifications” in Mathew J. Betz, et al., eds., Appropriate Technology: Choice and Development (Durham, North Carolina: Duke Press Policy Studies, 1984), 49–63. 2 Frances Stewart, Technology and Underdevelopment (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1977). 3 E. F. Schumacher was early to make this observation in Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered (New York: Harper & Row, 1973). A generation of scholars and practitioners followed.

Characteristics of Opinion Leaders in Substance Abuse Treatment Agencies

Objective. This study was part of a larger effort to test the effectiveness of technology transfer approaches related to evidence‐based treatment of co‐occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Specifically, this study examined characteristics of “opinion leaders” as technology transfer agents. Method. A network analysis was conducted within four large substance abuse treatment agencies to identify individuals that other counselors sought out for consultation on co‐occurring issues. The identified opinion leaders were then compared with other counselors on demographic variables, education and experience, and attitudes and knowledge about working with individuals with co‐occurring disorders. Results. The analyses demonstrate that opinion leaders differed from other counselors in competency‐related characteristics including more postgraduate education, relevant professional credentials, and years of experience in mental health treatment. They also had greater knowledge of the dynamics and treatment of co‐occurring disorders as well as a greater willingness and confidence in working with such clients. Conclusion. These results suggest that opinion leaders are used within agencies for information and consultation regarding treatment issues. Therefore, opinion leaders may provide an important vehicle for dissemination and adoption of evidence‐based treatment practices in community treatment settings.