1

Randy Hansen Co-director, U-TEAMED Technology Asset Knowledge Management

Infrastructure Innovation Emporium, Inc.

Jim Baker Director, Technology and Economic Development U-TEAMED Project Director Michigan Technological University

2

  Discuss : ◦  Connections between conventional technology

transfer with entrepreneurship initiatives toward fulfilling economic engagement. ◦  Challenges faced by emerging research universities

in taking full advantage of these connections. ◦  Present experience from a pilot collaborative

program in the state of Michigan that may be helpful in overcoming these challenges.

3

  Integrated with educational and research missions ◦  Educational opportunity in applied entrepreneurship ◦  Tremendous opportunity for mutual benefit between

educational, research, and licensing practitioner domains

  More than just patent licensing ◦  Knowledge Transfer ◦  Consulting ◦  Sponsored and Unsponsored Research

4

  Transfer important research results to the public.   Service to faculty and inventors in dealing with industry

arrangements and technology transfer issues;   Facilitate and encourage industrial research support;   Source of unrestricted funds for additional research;   Source of expertise in licensing and industrial contract

negotiations;   A method by which the institution can comply with the

requirements of laws such as the Bayh-Dole Act   A marketing tool to attract students, faculty, and external

research funding.

5

Adapted from Carlsson, B. and A. Fridh, “Technology transfer in United States universities – a survey and statistical analysis”, Journal of Evolutionary Economics (2002) 12: pp. 199-232.

  Research niches struggle to obtain critical mass

  High classroom teaching loads   Modest financial and support staff resources   Successes tend to be isolated and discrete

and don’t attract significant attention

6

  Pool resources   Leverage mutual and respective success for

collective ‘buzz’   Aggregate resources to increase net mass ◦  www.michiganlink.org

  Share technical expertise and business best practices

7

Technology Transfer and Sponsored Research Development Partnership

Original Partners: Michigan Technological University (lead) Eastern Michigan University Central Michigan University Oakland University

Additional Partners Recently Added Lake Superior State University Ferris State University

•  Initial discussions in 1997 •  First proposal seeking underwriting funding

submitted in early 2002 – not funded –  Michigan Tech, Eastern, Central, Western, Oakland

•  Pilot collaboration program sponsored under State grant in early 2003 –  Michigan Tech, Oakland, Western

•  Full implementation of U-TEAMED sponsored under follow-on grant in Fall 2004 –  Michigan Tech, Central, Eastern, Oakland

•  Partnership expanded under foundation funding in Fall of 2008 -  Ferris State and Lake Superior State

10

  Objective: Establish a technology transfer function at each of the partner institutions. ◦  Outcome: Of the three partners without formal technology

transfer functions prior to the pilot:   all have reviewed policies and procedures related to

technology transfer functions   all have established and published procedures for

submission of invention disclosures   all have reviewed procedures for specifying the IP

provisions of research grants and contracts   one has established a program with dedicated staff   one has implemented a program but is evaluating cost

effective staffing options   one has partnered with a campus technology incubator

and has incorporated technology transfer objectives into its sponsored research office.

11

  Objective: Increase research collaborations between individual researchers at each of the partner schools and with private industry. ◦  Outcomes:   Participants from all four partners have collaborated on

the submission of proposals for innovation acceleration to NSF and other prospective sponsors

  Faculty from all four partners have participated in an multi-university research conference, sponsored by the partners

  Faculty from all four partners have initiated plans for inter-university research collaborations

  Research asset information for the partners has been accessed on more than 25,000 visits to MichiganLink

  To date, the collaboration has attracted the participation of at two additional public universities

12

  Objective: Increase sponsored research at each partner university

13

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09

Goal Actual

  Advance innovation and technology entrepreneurship interests on each of the campuses. ◦  Outcomes: Of the three partners without formal technology

transfer functions prior to the pilot:   all have achieved greater institutional visibility for

innovation and technology transfer   all have conducted training and instructional sessions to

enhance faculty interest in advancing innovation and technology entrepreneurship

  all are actively participating in innovation and technology-transfer processes at the state level

◦  All four partners have established innovation initiatives focused on advancing university-based technology start-ups and university-industry technology development.

14

  Technology Transfer presence helped draw out innovators.

  Leveraging experience lowered barriers to moving forward with third parties and accelerated transaction execution.

◦  Contextual experience/empathy is important in addressing the challenges emerging institutions face in moving things forward   High course loads   Limited budgets   Minimal staff

  On-site personnel are necessary to maintain momentum through regular contact.

  Asset promotion databases are useful but require resources to populate and maintain.

  Faculty workloads limit time available for commercialization activities.

  Consistent executive leadership and communication of technology transfer as a priority is essential to broad participation. ◦  Researchers respond to institutional priorities. ◦  Well thought out structures with executive buy-in are

essential. ◦  Trust is necessary to work together and develop

reasonable and productive structures.

  Technology Transfer is part of the institution’s research and knowledge transfer portfolio not a stand-alone revenue generator

  Broad spectrum metrics are important in addition to conventional things like royalties.

  Process transparency, incentive equity, and thoughtful metrics are critical.

  Be mindful of the institutional cultural state ◦  Risk aversion ◦  Revenue expectations ◦  Reward structures

17

18

  Michigan Technology Tri-Corridor   Michigan 21st Century Jobs Fund   Michigan Universities Commercialization

Initiative   Michigan Initiative for Innovation and

Entrepreneurship

18