Practical guide to forming technological partnerships for R&D
The European Commission has published the first in a series of Practical guides to Community RTD, entitled "Technological Partnership Guide". The new series is an initiative of the BRITE/EURAM and INNOVATION programmes. The Technological Partnership Guide aims to cover all aspects of partnerships between laboratories and/or industrial enterprises for the purpose of acquiring or exploiting technological know-how. The guide examines the reasons for forming partnerships, and the possible benefits and drawbacks of partnership arrangements. Topics covered include the types of partnership suitable for particular projects, finding and selecting partners, negotiating partnership agreements, including arrangements for financing and intellectual property rights, and the operation of the agreement. The guide contains a listing of information sources and possible sources for partners, including CORDIS, the Community's R&D Information Service, which maintains a database of partnership opportunities. Also included is a checklist of points which organizations should bear in mind when considering forming partnerships.