EIMS Case Studies - University/Industry Technology Transfer
The European Innovation Monitoring System (EIMS), an initiative of the Community's INNOVATION programme for the dissemination and exploitation of research results, has recently published a "Comprehensive Summary" of the results of a study on the transfer of university technology to industry in the European Union. The report analyses the results of 13 in-depth case studies conducted at selected universities throughout Europe. All these case studies describe and analyse the most valuable part of a university's technology transfer system, its "good practices", by identifying the driving forces and underlying causal interdependencies that lead to the ultimate technology transfer success of the respective universities. The study, performed be a consortium of experts from 11 European Member States, illustrates how varied the influence of political, legal, financial, managerial and other factors is on the concrete experience of science parks, incubators and other initiatives aimed at fostering the transfer of university technology to industry. The main findings of the report outline six factors which are considered critical in supporting the commercialization of university technology: - The university must design appropriate interface structures which help to overcome rigid regulations and barriers in order to facilitate collaborative projects with industrial companies; - A large portfolio of technology transfer services is needed to respond individually to the specific needs of different kinds of industrial companies; - An active marketing approach directed towards different target groups of industrial companies is necessary to attract a significant number of industrial partners; - Long-term relationships with industrial companies are much more successful in exploiting the potential of university-industry collaborations than singular TT projects; - Technology transfer to SMEs works best when it is combined with networking and supported by easily accessible financial support programmes; - University spin-offs can be very effectively supported by specially designed activity programmes. The Comprehensive Summary provides an overview of the most relevant elements of the study conducted. The more detailed results of the study are to be found in two further documents: the "Good Practice Guide" and the "Case Study Compilation".