Technology Transfer Managers Research Articles

Not just numbers! Improving TTO performance by balancing the soft sides of the TQM

PurposeThis study investigates the role of “soft” factors of total quality management – in terms of empowerment and engagement of employees – in facilitating or hindering organizational performance of the university technology transfer offices.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), multiple regression model to test if empowerment and engagement affect organizational performance of the university technology transfer offices.FindingsThe authors found that “soft” factors of total quality management – in terms of empowerment and engagement – facilitate the improvement of organizational performance in university technology transfer offices.Practical implicationsThe authors’ analysis shows that soft total quality management practices create the conditions for improving organizational performance. This study provides practical implications by showing that, in the evaluation of the technology transfer office, not only the “hard” variables (e.g. number of employees and employee experience) but also the “soft” one (e.g. empowerment and engagement) matter. Therefore, university technology transfer managers or university technology transfer delegates should take actions to promote not only empowering employees but also create a climate conducive to employees' engagement in the university technology transfer offices.Originality/valueWith regards to the differences in organizational performances of university technology transfer offices, several studies have focused their attention on technology transfer professionals in technology transfer offices, but only a few of them have examined the “soft side” of total quality management. Thus, this study examines the organizational goals of technology transfer offices through “soft” factors of total quality management in terms of empowerment and engagement employees.

A hybrid approach for identifying and prioritizing critical success factors in technology transfer projects (case study: diesel locomotive manufacturing)

PurposeWith the rapid advancement of technology, companies use new technologies to produce their products and services to maintain a competitive advantage. As companies alone cannot research and develop their technologies, they should use knowledge sources outside the organization that may exist throughout the world; hence, organizations need technology transfer. Because the success rate of technology transfer projects is low, the need to accurately assess and investigate the critical success factors of technology transfer projects is felt. In this regard, this study aims to identify and prioritize the critical success factors in technology transfer projects.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, 56 critical success factor (CSF) were extracted from the context of the articles and were adjusted using experts’ opinions in different phases, as well as the fuzzy-Delphi approach. Finally, 15 factors were categorized in the form of steps of the technology transfer model: STAGE-GATE. In the next step, the set of criteria needed to prioritize CFSs was extracted from the literature and finalized with the help of the experts. Then, how each of the CSF influences the identified criteria was scored according to the organization’s export opinions. Finally, the priority of each key success factor was calculated using the additive ratio assessment (ARAS) method.FindingsThe results obtained for prioritization of the critical success factors show that experience in technology transfer in the transferee company, the existence of experienced technology transfer managers, sufficient organizational infrastructure and documenting project problems, achievements and experiences are four critical success factors of the technology transfer projects. Considering the long-term and short-term specific goals of the technology transfer process and the choice of technology in line with the company’s commercial strategy are also the critical success factors with the next priorities.Originality/valueThe combination of ARAS and step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis methods for identifying and prioritizing managerial decisions in the high-tech industries is a value of this research. Also, a combination of novel multi-attribute decision-making methods by the older framework of new product development is another contribution of this research.

University Regulations, Regional Development, and Technology Transfer: The Case of Brazil

In this study, we explore how the quality of university internal regulations and regional economic development impact new patent applications and licensing agreements in the context of Brazilian universities. To do that, we rely on data from a recent survey conducted by the Brazilian Innovation and Technology Transfer Managers National Forum (FORTEC Innovation Survey). Employing negative binomial models, we find that the quality of technology- transfer-related regulations has a positive impact on both patenting and licensing activities. In turn, the availability of regulations per se has no (or only little) effect on technology transfer outcomes. We also find that regional economic development has a negative impact on patenting outcomes. On the other hand, universities located in regions with higher levels of economic and innovative activity generate more licensing agreements. Finally, our results suggest that the marginal effects of the quality of both IP protection and licensing regulations is higher in more developed regions. These findings have important implications for both theory and practice.

University regulations, regional development and technology transfer: The case of Brazil

In this study, we explore how the interplay of the quality of university regulations and regional economic development impacts new patent applications and licensing agreements in the context of Brazilian universities. To do that, we rely on data from a recent survey conducted by the Brazilian Innovation and Technology Transfer Managers National Forum (FORTEC Innovation Survey). Employing negative binomial models, we find that the quality of technology-transfer-related regulations has a positive impact on both patenting and licensing activities, whereas the mere existence of those regulations has no (or only little) effect on technology transfer outcomes. This suggests that the presence of regulations per se may not provide (i) the incentive necessary to outweighing the opportunity costs and motivate academics to engage in technology transfer; and/or (ii) the necessary level of clarity, flexibility and consistency to mitigate uncertainties and transaction costs for both firms and university inventors. We also find a negative relationship between regional economic development and patenting outcomes. In contrast, we determine that universities located in regions with higher levels of economic and innovative activity generate more licensing agreements. Finally, our results suggest that the marginal effects of the quality of both IP protection and licensing regulations are higher in more developed regions.

The relevance of the co-presence of engagement and empowerment among technology transfer managers

Several studies show that technology transfer processes benefit from effective and efficient organisation but what does more precisely explain differences in the performance of Technology Transfer ...

Novel Job Scheduling Tool for University Technology Transfer

Technology commercialization managers are often faced with (1) training inventors on intellectual property (IP) laws and IP policies, (2) evaluating invention disclosures for patentability and marketability, (3) drafting and implementing invention marketing plans, and (4) working closely with patent counsel on patent prosecution. This study begins with the fact that expediency is important because the amount of time taken to evaluate invention disclosures and file patent applications often conflicts with inventors’ desire to publish their findings. Yet, very few technology transfer managers use project management job scheduling tools to minimize processing time. Next, this study describes the development of a novel job scheduling tool for university technology transfer using simulated annealing in R programming. A description of experimentation follows and the test results follow. Next, the discussion provides that the primary implication for technology managers is that the tasks involved in technology transfer can be scheduled quite easily and speedily with this proposed job scheduling tool. A limitation to the study is that a hypothetical set of TTO staff job tasks was scheduled. Also, faculty inventors’ tasks are not included. Thus, future research should include further experimentation in actual university technology transfer offices using the job tasks that their specialists need to schedule in real time.

Managing Intellectual Property Rights Over Clinical Trial Data to Promote Access and Benefit Sharing in Public Health

There are ongoing debates regarding the nature and scope of intellectual property protection, if any, which clinical trial data should receive in terms of Article 39 of the TRIPS Agreement.These debates however occur in the international and bilateral contexts thus excluding key stakeholders in public health and clinical research. The roles and experiences of excluded stakeholders such as technology transfer managers, clinical researchers and regulatory authorities hardly feature in these debates. The debates raise pertinent ethical and legal concerns, which warrant considerations of the strategies that can be used to manage intellectual property rights over clinical trial data with a view to fostering access and benefit sharing in public health. This paper suggests roles that the excluded stakeholders can play in the strategic management of intellectual property rights over clinical trial data in order to cater for public health needs. The concept of access and benefit sharing, which has so far been debated in the fields of biodiversity and most recently in the human genome context is applied to public health with a view to initiating discussions on how it can inform decision-making in the management of intellectual property rights over clinical trial data.

The Entrepreneurial University: Evidence of the Changing Role of Universities in Modern Russia

This paper examines the evolution of the entrepreneurial function of Russia's leading universities: the study is based on a conceptualization of a university's entrepreneurial development pathway developed by the OECD in 2009. The data on entrepreneurship development were collected in 2012 through a survey of technology transfer and innovation development managers of 18 National Research Universities. The primary data were complemented by desktop analysis of the strategy development documents of the universities surveyed. The results suggest that in the period studied, 2008–2012, a new type of university, the entrepreneurial university, has emerged in Russia. However, these entrepreneurial universities are facing serious challenges in the implementation of an entrepreneurial, innovation-oriented mission due to the lack of managerial competencies and inadequate infrastructure development. The paper has significant theoretical and practical implications in shedding light on the development of the entrepreneurial university in Russia, where the process is still in its infancy. The authors depict a trajectory of entrepreneurial transformation in and barriers to this process that, it is argued, university executives and policy makers should take into consideration.

Shooting Genes, Distributing Credit: Narrating the Development of the Biolistic Gene Gun

Using oral histories with scientists, technology transfer managers and other collaborators who were involved with the development of the biolistic gene gun, I investigate how actors narrate their experiences of technology transfer. The individuals who worked on the gene gun draw on two different interpretive repertoires for describing the innovation process: a ‘localized’ repertoire that highlights defined moments and the conceptual contributions of a few individuals; and a ‘distributed’ repertoire that emphasizes longer time frames, the process of technical implementation and the importance of a network of collaborators. Each of these repertoires identifies a different assemblage of actors as deserving of credit and reward for the development of the gene gun. Examining how scientists employ these modes of describing the innovation process offers a way of thinking about how university inventors negotiate tensions around novel features of academic capitalism, such as personal profit arising from the commercialization of university technologies.

FORMAL INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS AS OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS AT UNIVERSITIES — COMPARATIVE DATA FROM SWEDEN AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

This paper identifies differences in institutional contexts (legislation) between Sweden and the UK and their effects on technology transfer policies. It then proceeds to examine how such activities are organized by universities. Empirical evidence from surveys conducted with technology transfer managers at eight Swedish universities and eleven UK universities gathered in Sweden and the UK during 2004 is analyzed. It is argued that the historical developments of these systems depend on different institutional contexts, which influence the modes of organization. The UK technology transfer system is based on similar legislation to that of the US, with IPRs being granted to the universities. The Swedish system, however, grants IPRs to the individual researchers, though with some new features — such as science parks and incubators — suggesting a change towards greater agent (university) involvement in encouraging technology transfer. This change indicates a breakthrough for the "entrepreneurial university" in Sweden.

Industry-University IP Relations: Integrating Perspectives and Policy Solutions

Despite a long and productive U.S. history, industry-university (I-U) relations have become increasingly testy around intellectual property (IP). The Bayh-Dole Act is cited the driver for sharply increased university patenting, less fundamental research focus, and disinterest in traditional missions, although there is little data to corroborate these conclusions. A National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored workshop points to I-U relationship issues in the context of the path a new technology must follow from lab to market. We propose some critical variables affecting I-U IP relationships; describe areas of agreement and contention between the parties, drawing also on secondary data and the broader literature of I-U relations; and offer IP policy observations of interest to universities, researchers and technology transfer managers, their industry counterparts, and government. We end with propositions for further research

Australian university technology transfer managers: Backgrounds, work roles, specialist skills and perceptions

Technology transfer managers are a new group of specialist professionals engaged in facilitating transfer of university research discoveries and inventions to business firms and other research users. With relatively high academic qualifications and enjoying higher salaries than many other comparable university staff, technology transfer managers tend to have been recruited from outside the higher education sector, having had significant commercial and public‐sector experience. On average, they spend longer hours in work activities per week than research office managers, being heavily involved in identification and marketing of intellectual property (IP), patenting and licensing IP to existing and start‐up companies. Overall, they are highly critical of the management of their own universities, both generally and with regard to research commercialization, and give relatively low effectiveness ratings to the efforts of both Commonwealth and State governments to support research commercialization and innovation.

Public Relations and Technology Transfer Offices

This article discusses the importance for technology transfer offices of sound media and government relations strategies. It reports the results of a nationwide electronic survey in the USA and interviews with technology transfer managers on how they handle public relations issues in their offices. Strengths and weaknesses of their communication operations are highlighted, and perceived training needs are identified. Based on their research, the authors recommend: (a) more proactive public relations activities for technology transfer offices, (b) increased promotion of business partnerships, (c) effective evaluation of current activities, (d) possible best practices, (e) specific training initiatives and (f) ways to improve responses to attacks on the Bayh–Dole Act.

Academic Research and Regional Innovation

According to a large body of research, academic R&D has an important inductive effect on industrial innovation. However, the extent to which the returns to university-induced innovation are captured locally remains poorly understood. This paper introduces and assesses technology transfer at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, in the context of the problems associated with appropriating the benefits of academic R&D for the regional economy. The large and growing number of university-related start-up companies in the region and the clustering of firms near the university are among the indicators of success. Areas of concern are also discussed. The paper concludes by suggesting lessons for regional planners and technology transfer managers.

Development of a Technology Readiness Assessment Measure: The Cloverleaf Model of Technology Transfer

Successful technology transfer begins with the identification of appropriate candidate technologies for transfer. Technology transfer managers have few reliable tools to guide the process of determining when and which technologies are likely to be successful in the commercialization process. This paper describes a multi-stage process which incorporated ideas from the literature, materials in use, pretesting of a model, and the collective wisdom of practitioners to devise a technology transfer readiness tool, dubbed the “Cloverleaf Model” Tool for Technology Transfer Assessment, because of its identification of the four requirements for success. The tool has been customized for different environments. It can be used over time to compare technologies and adapted to the unique situation of users.

Funding the Commercialization of University Innovations

The results of a recently published survey of university technology transfer managers indicate that many US universities and academic research institutes are now experiencing increases in the licensing of their patented technologies to commercial entities, resulting in the creation of new companies offering high-paying jobs and significant potential for impact on the local and national economy. What distinguishes these universities and their technology transfer efforts appears to be a strong and continuing focus on the value of their technologies, a university policy which recognizes and encourages the entrepreneurial efforts of their faculty and, most importantly, the creation of, or access to, a business support system which understands how modern technology-based industries operate. This business support activity is most significant in identifying the needs of industry and developing an awareness of the importance of responsiveness in dealing with corporate leaders and decision makers. This paper looks at some of the more significant trends referred to above, outlines the characteristics of the more aggressive (and successful) technology transfer organizations, and discusses a variety of programmes which have been evolved to enhance or accelerate the commercialization of university developed innovations.

Public Policy and Emerging Sources of Technology and Technical Information Available to Industry

As technologies grow in complexity, firms often target their internal R&D resources on core competencies and utilize outside sources for supporting knowledge and technology. Where do firms turn to find such resources? This paper reports the perceptions of technology transfer managers in United States manufacturing firms toward federal and university labs and identifies the types of farms that are better positioned to utilize externally available technological resources. Based on replies from research‐intensive companies within the United States, the authors find that larger firms with high research and development (R&D) budgets tend to ascribe greater significance to external sources than do smaller ones. Also, companies spending over $500 million in R&D rank universities the most significant external source of knowledge, followed by V S.‐based firms, and then foreign firms.