A new way to share our intellectual propertywww.easyaccessip.org.uk

What I’ll talk about

How it all started

Our Fast Forward project

Achievements to date

Examples of deals done

What we learned

How it all started

“We aim to transfer as much IP into usage as we can, to the benefit of our partners, community, society and economy”

Way back in 2010...

Academic idea

remove the barriers to collaboration

Faster, simpler – EASIER

Changing landscape – emphasis on IMPACT

This created lots of interest and debate which lead to...

Easy Access Innovation Partnership

A collaborative project between the University of Glasgow, King’s College London and University of Bristol to promote

new ways of sharing intellectual property and to adopt new approaches which make it easier for universities and industry

to work together

Our Fast Forward Project

Our objective

Our aim is to maximise partnerships with industry and ultimately, the transfer of university knowledge for public benefit

Easy Access IP

In support of our principles, we’ve adopted Easy Access Intellectual Property (IP), an

initiative that offers certain IP for free, using quick and simple agreements

Our values

1. MAXIMISE the transfer of knowledge.2. It’s not all about the money!3. Simple transactions and agreements.4. We retain sufficient rights to pursue further

research (academic and commercial)5. We retain rights to publish

What the licensee agrees to

Potential licensees need to tell the university how they will use the IP to benefit the economy or society

There are three additional conditions: 1. Acknowledgement2. Three year limit3. No limitations on the university’s use of the IP for its own

research

Why adopt Easy Access Innovation?

This is an opportunity for your university to be a leader in open innovation and IP management, and to reach our collective goal of disseminating our knowledge widely

It fits well within the current environmentEmphasis on KT (and requirement for KT Impact Plans) by Research CouncilsProminence of Impact within the REF methodology

Who’s on board?

Who’s on board?

Achievements

1. A suite of Easy Access IP contracts2. Our website www.easyaccessip.org.uk3. Promoted the concept effectively to industry and other

research institutions4. Easy Access Innovation Summit involving key opinion leaders5. Developed formal linkages with ibridge

ibridge

License of Software for Optical Tweezers

• High speed cameras + laser beam technology = measure movement on a sub-atomic scale

• Software now licensed to Hertfordshire-based Elliot Scientific and features in their Optical Tweezers Systems

• The licence has led to a successful on-going collaboration with the company

“Subsequent to our excellent interaction with Prof Miles Padgett's group and our acquisition of Camera Particle Tracking (CPT) software through the Easy Access IP route, we have now show-cased this technology with our

Optical Tweezer Systems at three international conventions. This has been well received and we have recently made our first sales of the product.”

Mike Elliott, Chairman of Elliott Scientific

License of the Cube• Fully functional holographic optical

tweezers system and microscope• Used for manipulation of biological

samples• Based on a number of third party

components• Limited commercial value to the

university as based significantly on other proprietary components

License of the Cube• Offered EAIP license for design rights (exclusive) and non-exclusive

for software

• Advantage to the licensee• time to market• access to a world leading research group

• Technology licensed to Boulder Non-Linear Systems• Deal completed with 8 weeks from initial discussions• Product due to be launched with 6 months. • Company have already received pre-sales of the device

Feedback

Quote from Boulder Nonlinear Systems

“The process to transfer the technology required for BNS to commercialise “The Cube" started the latter part of January 2012 with the Agreement completed and signed the third week of March 2012.

I have been negotiating contracts for over 25 years and I have never experienced a more streamlined and cooperative approach in negotiating an Agreement; all done with a total number of 10 pages!

This is unheard of in today's environment where a similar agreement could very easily take over six months to negotiate with a document that exceeds 40 pages.”

Mark Tanner, Vice President, Boulder Nonlinear systems

Benefits of our model

Increase ability to develop relationships with industryFree access allows industry partners to evaluate IP quickly and take risksEasier for researchers to achieve KT outcomes/impactsEnsures university/industry relationships begin with a gesture of good will, providing a strong foundation for a long term relationship ‐Speed up transaction time

We expect all IP to generate a return, however, we’re choosing to forgo an immediate, financial return to stimulate the development of IP and

promote new, long term partnerships.‐

Universities provided £3.3bn worth of services to business in 2010/11

19

% revenue by source 2010-11

Source data: HEBCIS

Successes – more than IP licensing30+ Easy Access deals completed

Increased number of enquiries from businesses – leading to wider collaboration beyond EAIP technologies

Universities changing the way they assess and manage their IP portfolio

Increasing focus on relationships over individual financial transactions

Research Groups are looking more strategically at how they manage their IP – thinking more about impact and long-term benefits.

What we learned

Consider where EAIP is owned and delivered in the university

EAIP is about a new way of looking at IP

Academics are genuinely keen to engage

It is not appropriate for all technologies at any stage of development

Universities need to consider and understand their IP value proposition and prioritise accordingly

www.easyaccessip.org.uk