1. UK approach to university-
business/user links
Alice Frost
Stanford, USA
November 2012

2. Models and Missions for Transfer Offices
Gilles Capart, Proton Europe, and Jon Sandelin, Stanford OTL 2004
• The Open Science Model: academics publish and industry
patents
• The Licence Model: universities license to industry
• The Innovation Model: universities form part of innovation eco-
system

3. ‘It is relatively more difficult to license out a university invention in Europe than in the
US. The European market is much more fragmented ..and the density of technology-
based companies is less important. Many licenses from European universities are
actually executed with US groups, and do not benefit the European economy.
The innovation model is comparatively more developed in certain European
countries, notably the UK, Scandinavian countries, Netherlands and Belgium, than in
the US. The potential benefits for the public and for the university will also be larger
and more regional in character. The basic difference is that European universities
have to be more directly involved in the innovation process than their US
counterparts for achieving the same result.
Models of, and Missions for, Transfer Offices from Public Research Organizations by Gilles Capart and Jon Sandelin (2004)

4. Critical Functions Existing stock of knowledge / technologies / patents
of HEIs in the
Innovation System
Higher Education Base Graduating
students, re
Research Education search
Innovation publications
conditions of
place
• Policy framework University Knowledge Exchange
• Local leadership
• Labour market
• Access to expertise
• Access to finance
Other Firms
Technology (customers, competitors,
• Enterprise culture intermediaries suppliers, etc.)
• Innovation
infrastructure
• Attract inward
investment
FIRM Absorptive capacity
INNOVATION
• Attract talent Innovation value chain
• Quality of area
© PACEC 2011 4

5. Nature and scale of knowledge exchange mechanisms
between academics and external organisations

6. HEFCE: Transition from Technology
Transfer to Knowledge Exchange
Where we have come from… Where we are going to…
STEM focus All disciplines
Simple ‘transmission’ model of knowledge Dynamic exchange model
(engagement, not outreach)
Wealth creation Innovation, productivity, quality of
life, cultural enrichment, civic dev,
community regeneration etc.
Large, multi-national businesses Spectrum from global to local/
regional and all users

7. Evolution of HEFCE Knowledge
Exchange Funding
160 HEIF 4 HEIF 2011-15
140
120 Total KE funding Maintained £150
(£ millions, constant 2009/10 prices)
million in cash terms
Knowledge exchange funding
100
HEIF
80
60
40
20 Other HEFCE KE funding
0
Total KE income HEIF funding Other KE income
7

8. Strong growth in knowledge
PACEC
exchange income

9. Leadership, Strategy and Institutional Structures
Leadership and Organisational systems Strategy Institutional PACEC
Incentives and rewards
governance culture
Building internal capability within the HEI
KE staff Academics
Internal / external courses Best practice networks Internal courses Mentoring
Recruitment Workshops / seminars Informal networks
Facilitating the research Skills and human Knowledge Exploiting the physical
exploitation process capital development networks / diffusion assets of the HEI
Access points for external orgs CPD / short courses Provision of public space
Business development Lifelong learning Alumni networks Science parks
Technology transfer Careers services KE professional networks Incubators
Work placements / project Staff exchanges
Consultancy support Facilities / equipment
experience
Academic – external
Contracts / legal support
Joint curriculum development organisation networks
Patenting / IP advice
Corporate Relations Entrepreneurship and Supporting the community / public engagement
Press / communications enterprise education
Outreach Widening participation
Investment funds
Social enterprise Volunteering Awareness raising / knowledge
Marketing diffusion
Enterprise and Social cohesion / community
External fundraising for research entrepreneurship training regeneration Involving public in research
Economic and
Academic knowledge Academic societal benefits

10. Knowledge Exchange Support
Infrastructure: HEIF investments
• Total HEIF investment: £150 million per annum over 2010/11 – 14/15
Share (%) of HEIF by expenditure Share (%) of HEIF by infrastructure
type category
Exploiting
physical assets
6%
Dedicated KE Community
Other costs 7%
staff
28%
53%
Diffusion
10%
Entrepreneursh
ip
10%
Academic staff Skills Research
19% development exploitation
14% 53%
10

11. Other Sources of Funding Knowledge
Exchange (% strategies)
Research exploitation Skills development Knowledge diffusion
HEIF: £318 million HEIF: £84 million HEIF: £62 million
Other funds: Other funds: Other funds:
Reinvesting KE income 78% Reinvesting KE income 44% Core research 33%
RCUK 55% Core teaching 42% Core teaching 30%
TSB 50% Course fees 32% Reinvesting KE income 25%
European funding 45% RDA 28% RDA 20%
RDA 40% European funding 26% RCUK 18%
Entrepreneurship and Exploiting physical assets Civic / community
enterprise education
HEIF: £63 million HEIF: £34 million HEIF: £41 million
Other funds: Other funds: Other funds:
Core teaching 42% Reinvesting KE income 52% Reinvesting KE income 36%
European funding 30% RDA 30% RDA 27%
RDA 27% European funding 25% HEFCE 26%
Reinvesting KE income 24% RCUK 21% Donations / alumni 23%
Donations / alumni 22% Internal resources 16% Core teaching 19%
11

12. Thank you for listening
a.frost@hefce.ac.uk

13. HEFCE weblinks
• KE policy: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/econsoc/buscom/
• HEIF: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/econsoc/buscom/heif/
• HE-BCI Survey:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/econsoc/buscom/hebci/
• Evaluation: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2009/09_15/
• Research working papers:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/econsoc/buscom/3stream/research.ht
m