“Creating Markets from Research Results”
 conference in EPO Munich, 6 / 7 May 2013
 almost 300 participants from 40 countries
Creating markets from research results
 all stakeholders brought together, including
 policy-makers
 governmental decision-makers
 academia, research institutions
 TTOs
 European institutions
International, Regional & National Strategies of Public Institutions on
The Role of TTOs To Enhance University & Industry Relations
IP Management @ Universities
Thomas BEREUTER
Directorate IP Awareness, European Patent Academy
30 October 2014
European Patent Office
Content
Findings from conference (1/2)
 Findings from conference 'Creating markets from research results'

IP management is a challenge for universities
 Proposals for better IP policies for universities

Universities and their TTOs should facilitate the exploitation of research
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results
 Future questions for how universities manage IP

IP policies should respect third mission of universities
 Universities should not become producers of IP at all costs to
comply with their third mission
European Patent Office
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European Patent Office
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Findings from conference (2/2)

Only few universities are well performing in IP

IP policies not just about designing structures and processes

Attempts to harmonize IP policies at the EU level

IP policies will differ  no one size fit all

TTOs have to manage increasingly complex contractual relationships

Making revenues from IP should not be the priority for universities and
their TTOs
European Patent Office
Proposals for better IP policies (1/4)
NEW METRICS
 Need to rethink indicators
 Build new indicators to measure overall impact of university generated IP
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European Patent Office
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Proposals for better IP policies (2/4)
Proposals for better IP policies (3/4)
INCREASING THE SCALE
SUPPORT FOR INCREASINGLY COMPLEX CONTRACTUAL PROCESSES
 Good results from few top TTOs
 Need for soft guidelines, model contracts, support for development and
 Need of cooperation between different TTOs across institutions through
public initiatives or competitive forces
professionalization of TTOs
 Potential of bundling offerings:
− increased attractiveness for industry
− reduction of transaction costs
− more collaboration
 Transparent rules required
 Well-defined boundaries between open science and proprietary IP
 Limit to concentration of TTOs:
− personal contact and proximity to researchers is important
European Patent Office
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European Patent Office
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Proposals for better IP policies (4/4)
Future questions for how universities manage IP (1/3)
COMPLEXITY
CONSOLIDATION AND HARMONIZATION EFFORTS
 Universities are complex institutions - priority not only making profits from
 Harmonization attempts at EU level in the past
its products
 Increasing importance of knowledge transfer in policy making
 No standard solution for universities on how to manage IP
 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020:
MECHANICS
− increased significance of IP
 Universities lack a professional structure for IP management
 Better results for TTOs – direct connection to university management or
freedom to make their own decisions
 Bundling activities might be a future solution
European Patent Office
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European Patent Office
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Future questions for how universities manage IP (2/3)
Future questions for how universities manage IP (3/3)
FORMS OF IP TRANSFER
ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURES
 Patents main link between science and market
 Inventor`s choice to select TTOs or advisors
 In practice, TTOs have limited resources to support external inventors
 Different emphasis on softer forms of knowledge such as know-how
PERFORMANCE
BENEFITS
 Best results when IP management is connected up internally and externally
 Funding of research by cooperation
 Spin-outs creating an ecosystem of local innovation
 Importance of cooperation between TTOs and academics:
 Increased attractiveness for students
publication of research results, while securing their IP beforehand
European Patent Office
 Donations from successful founders of start-ups
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European Patent Office
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Mission of NPOs & EPO
Enhancing tech transfer at universities - background
Support innovation by
 Patent procedure
 Patent information
 Patent related trainings
 Seminar on the relationship between the national patent offices and
tech transfer offices
 Group of experts from national patent offices, the EPO, universities
and other public institutions
 Recommendations on how to improve and enhance technology
transfer at universities
 Report published
(http://cluster006.ovh.net/~curie/IMG/pdf/tech_transfer_uni.pdf)
 European Patent Network
European Patent Office
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European Patent Academy
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Academia teaching and training support
 Training on IP and EPO services
and tools for
− applicants and attorneys
− judges
− patent office staff
− universities and research centres
− businesses and SMEs
European Patent Office
European Patent Office
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 IP Teaching Kit
 IP course design manual
 Inventors' handbook
 Train-the-trainer seminars
 eLearning courses...
European Patent Office
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Creating markets from research results
International, Regional & National Strategies of Public Institutions on
The Role of TTOs To Enhance University & Industry Relations
IP Management @ Universities
Thomas BEREUTER
Directorate IP Awareness, European Patent Academy
30 October 2014