University R&D
Most Universities may not be optimizing value from their technology portfolios. Technology developed at many Universities has become a primary source for generating much-needed revenue for university budgets. Many universities have established technology transfer offices to handle licensing, primarily to large pharmaceutical companies, but increasingly to companies in diverse fields. However, most universities may not be maximizing returns on their technology portfolios for two primary reasons:
- The business value of funded research may not be evident, and
- Selecting which of the many ideas generated by prolific professors should be patented, at high initial cost, is often difficult to determine.
The university research environment represents a rather unique opportunity because the university can provide research and development in areas often ignored by those in the business sector. Many companies, particularly the small and mid-size companies, don't have expertise in technical areas, and so they often call on a university to play a role not only in research, but also in development.
The question emerges, "How best can the university participate in this expanding business opportunity?" Whether the university licenses their technology or decides to participate in equity with a potential for enhancement in value is a question which must be addressed at an early stage.
With years of experience serving the University community, we can providing guidance in making these decisions, by reviewing research for value, protecting technology before presentation through lower cost provisional filings to provide time for value analysis, performing searches of related technology and reviewing the competitive business environment.