This document discusses capacity building for technology transfer between universities and industry. It defines absorptive capacity and desorptive capacity as the abilities to incorporate and release new knowledge. Building these capacities requires interactions between different organizations and overcoming barriers like culture, risk, and high transaction costs. The document recommends universities and industry improve understanding, reduce costs and risks, and facilitate open communication to encourage innovation and knowledge sharing. Governments can help by creating supportive policies, funding research, and developing infrastructure.
2. Capacity Building
“To ensure continuing prosperity in the
global economy nothing is more important
than the development and application of
knowledge and skills”
“In believe in innovation, and a way to
innovation is to fund research”
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader
and a follower”
Martin Rees, OM FRS FmedSCI
Astronomer Royal
President of the Royal Society, 2005-
2010
Bill Gates
Steve Jobs
3. Capacity Building
Why is Capacity Building Important?
◦ Improved understanding of foundational elements
◦ Enhanced capacity of companies to commercially utilize knowledge
◦ Improved problem solving
◦ Access to skilled workforce
◦ Access to specialized resources and facilities
◦ Localization of innovations
4. Capacity Building
Absorptive capacity vs. Desorptive capacity
Requires interactions between universities and industry
Culture of the organizations
Industry and universities Research
Knowledge
Innovation
Education
5. Capacity Building
Absorptive capacity: The ability to incorporate new
technologies and methodologies in to the research,
product development, and manufacturing processes.
◦ Size
◦ Research & development intensity
◦ Public subsidies
◦ Alignment
Desorptive capacity: The ability of an organization to
release knowledge towards a recipient that is able to
commercially utilize it
◦ Culture
◦ Policies
◦ Resources
6. Capacity Building
Government
◦ Policies
◦ Laws
◦ Regulations
Industry
◦ Mission
◦ Utilization of knowledge
◦ Culture
Universities
◦ Mission
◦ Basic research vs applied research
◦ Technology transfer
◦ Culture
7. Capacity Building
Absorptive
&
desorptive
capacity
University
Academic/research freedom
Leadership
Industry interactions
Technology Transfer
Leadership
Rewards
Students
Industry
Leadership
Working with academia
Support
Risk appetite
Time frame
Culture
Openness & Flexibility
Commitment to transfer
Skills
Perceived value
Time scales
Information asymmetry
Context and Interactions
Risk
Technology Transfer
Mutual shared vision
Technical skills
Experience
Objectives
Adapted from University-Industry Relations: does technology transfer
matter? Dell’Anno and Giudice, Dec. 2015, Journal of Innovation &
Entrepreneurship
8. Capacity Building
Formal and informal channels
Most of the formal channels relate to technology transfer
University Industry
Informal Channels
Publications Students Conferences Networks
Formal Channels
Research
contracts
Collaborations Consulting Licensing
Startups Joint development
Culture and Openness
9. Capacity Building in Universities
Policies
Culture
Expectations
Gateways
Incentives for collaboration
External drivers
10. Technology Transfer
The intersection of science, business, and law
The process by which knowledge and technology
is transferred for the purpose of commercial
utilization for the public benefit
Science Business
Law
Technology Transfer
11. Technology Transfer
Technology Transfer
◦ Staffing
◦ Background, skills and training
◦ Resources
◦ Funding and support
Discovery
Review
and Assess
Commercial
Applications?
Protect
and
Market
Out Licensing
Startup
Development
Industry
Collaborations
12. Technology Transfer
Programs to build capacity
◦ Faculty and student education
◦ Research vs Research services vs joint
collaborations
◦ Easy license
◦ Technology gap funds
◦ Springboard funds
◦ Startup programs
◦ Seed investment
•Commercial
development
•Product launch
•Infrastructure
•Workforce training
•Product pipeline
•Product diversification
•University collaborations
•Consulting
•Translational
development
•Licensing
•Startups
•Industry collaborations
•Knowledge creation
•Students
•Facilities
•Workforce development
Research &
Education
Knowledge
use and
Application
Product
Development
&
Manufacturing
Growth &
Maturity
13. Barriers to Interactions
Culture
◦ Not invented here
◦ Not sold here
Risk
◦ Technology
◦ Financial
◦ Intellectual property
◦ Opportunity
High transaction costs
Time value of money
14. Impact of Technology Transfer
There are challenges
Enhance regional and national
ecosystems
Create a cultural shift
Need to take a long-term
perspective (about 40+ years of
effort)
15. In conclusion
Universities and industry need to be:
◦ Open to receiving and disseminating knowledge
◦ Understand the risk profile of the research / innovation
◦ Reduce transaction costs
◦ Facilitate communication (at all levels)
◦ Reduce the exploration vs exploitation dilemma
Government
◦ Cannot force innovation, need to facilitate it
◦ Policies
◦ Invest in funding research
◦ Infrastructure
16. Thank you
Arundeep S. Pradhan
President
Apio, LLC
arundeep@apiopartners.com
+1.503.335.6998 Work
+1.503.360.3723 Mobile
Hinweis der Redaktion
To understand how do build capacity
Understand the ecosystem
What is the incentive
Do the respective corporate and university cultures facilitate or dissuade
Understand how universities and industry interact
If industry in the kingdom does not absorb the innovations, the innovations leave (not a bad thing) but a better thing is to retain them
Three main players in building capacity
Start with the capacity of the innovation ecosystem
Then look at the absotrptive capacity of companeis
And desorptive capacity of universities
positive effects of relationship learning and absorptive capacity on competitive advantages of companies through their innovation performances in Taiwanese manufacturing industry.
relationship learning and absorptive capacity positively influence upon innovation performances of companies, and further have positive effects on competitive advantages of companies.
Policies – make it easy to interact with industry / remove bureaucracy / decision making / incentive to faculty /
Culture – Not sold here (Not invented here) / commercialization is not negative / starts with the administration / Are tech transfer activities considered for promotion and tenure / no negative outcomes
Expectations – income / impact / service / performance & metrics
Gateways – these are not meant to suppress interactions with industry – but enhance and facilitate / industry complains about no front door / one such gateway is technology transfer
External drivers – expectations of economic development / community
Long-term
Staffing – Management / Associates / administrative / accounting /intellectual property
Background – varied / generally STEM / Bachelors to PhD / law /
Skills – the greatest skills are translating science concepts in to business concepts
Training – basic courses in academic technology transfer (assessing research) / innovation management / intellectual property management / lead generation and marketing / licensing and negotiations / research contract and collaborations / managing industry partners and licensees
Resources – databases / market research / consultants
Funding and support – divided in to operations and intellectual property / need to have enough long term funding / budget for IP protection needs to be established and managed very carefully