The Emerging technology transfer market across europe

Technology transfer is a long-term activity, as many case studies show, and the potential contributions, both financial and non-financial, that effective technology transfer can make to the EU economy are significant and often under exploited. The increasing public interest in the commercialisation of research is drawing in new funding and more organisations are developing an interest in the exploitation of their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). This emerging market is one where Isis is often called upon to share its expertise with other world-class organisations as they gear themselves up to exploit more of their IPR and research.

The Lisbon Agreement (2000) set a huge challenge for the European Union with its objective of raising spend in Research and Development to 3% of GDP by 2010. This ambitious goal was fostered in the belief that this was a key requirement in order to catch up with Japan and the USA in creating a truly dynamic and innovative society.

However, two very interesting challenges have emerged in setting the objective;

• The scale of the increase in spending may be a modest part of the economy in total but it nevertheless involves significant sums of money. It demands new infrastructure, trained staff, new channels for funding and often new policies for organisations tasked with taking forward more research. The UK Government, for example, has recognised this and is now aiming for a gentler increase to 2.5% in the time-scale.
• Equally importantly, the manner in which more R&D will bring cascading improvements in the prosperity and dynamism of European society needs further study. There are numerous local and regional case studies which show tremendous success in creating stronger, more dynamic economies; Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, Silicon Valley, North Carolina Research Triangle and Cambridge, Massachusetts in the US but the detail in which complex local interactions create a prosperous global economic node vary in each case.

Success in releasing this economic benefit needs a balance of strategic planning with scope for laissez-faire. It requires the presence of leaders and entrepreneurs with resource available, appreciation of risk-taking and access to new science. And it is location dependent. It is this elusive equation that the European Union and its nations must now address.

Plans for a centralised ‘European MIT’, standardisation of universities and research contracts which demand exploitation show one school of thought within the European Commission, a school that tends to believe planned economic intervention is the only way forward. But clearly there are other schools of thought within the Commission who are trying to open up debate on introducing flexibility into thinking, funding and support and an acceptance that it is an emerging market where different approaches will be needed as member state economies mature in different ways.  

It is exciting times for an ambitious Europe, but one in which we need policy makers to remember that delicate balance in an economy between planning and risk-taking. Isis Enterprise will continue to monitor and provide an input into the policy debate, since it is an important factor for us as we work with our clients across Europe.

Notes for readers:

1.  Isis Enterprise, established in 2004, is a division of Isis Innovation Ltd. It offers consulting expertise and advice in technology transfer to clients from the public and private sectors, in the UK and internationally.

2. Isis Innovation Ltd. is Oxford University’s technology transfer company. It provides researchers with commercial advice, funds patent applications and legal costs, negotiates exploitation and spin-out company agreements, and identifies and manages consultancy opportunities for University researchers. It is a subsidiary of Oxford University and has established itself as one of the best University technology transfer companies in the UK. 

 

This article first appeared in July 2006.