Problems and Solutions in the Transfer of

Computational Technology

Kevin Swingler

INCITE

Summary

• Technology Transfer – Usual methods

• Barriers to technology transfer

• What is INCITE?

• INCITE’s solutions

• Invitation to join

Routes to Technology Transfer

• Education!

• Consultancy

• Contract research

• Teaching Company Scheme

• Sale of IPR or technology

In order of difficulty:

Sale of IPR or Technology• The result of many kinds of research –

particularly in computing – should be a solution or improvement with commercial potential

• Why not sell this invention?• Probably the hardest method of technology

transfer• Potentially the most profitable for both

university and company

Barriers and Gaps

• Lack of understanding on both sides

• Different languages spoken

• Difficulty in making the right contacts

• Sometimes an issue of trust

• Difference of ideals

There are obvious gaps between the academic world and the industrial one:

Barriers and Gaps

Ironically, there seem to be more barriers created by the two parties than there are gaps between them:

• Lack of incentives to academic staff

• Overly high expectations on both sides

• Drawn out legal process and IPR wrangles

• Lack of project management

Universities are Not Companies

• Market research

• Product design

• Technology solutions

• Product development

• Marketing

• Sales and distribution

• Support

This is what the Universities are good at

Options for the Inventor

• Start a company– A certain level of risk– Large capital requirement– Potential for great rewards– Many, however, fail

• Licence the invention to an existing company

What is INCITE?

• Set up by Universities of Stirling, Edinburgh and Paisley

• Has both research and commercial remit

• The commercial activity – that of promoting Computational Intelligence techniques – is carried out by Incite Technology Ltd.

The Institute for Neuronal and Computational

Intelligence and Technology

Incite Technology Ltd

• Acts as an agent for universities wishing to commercialise inventions in our field – Computational Intelligence

• Takes on projects at a proof of concept stage and markets them to commercial firms

• Doesn’t charge for its services directly, but takes a commission on anything that it sells

• Main goal is to licence existing IPR to companies who can exploit it

How Does this Solve the Problems?

• Providing an interface between the inventor and industry

• Providing an understanding of both commercial needs and academic constraints

• Building the right contacts in universities and in industry

We bridge the gap by:

How Does this Solve the Problems?

• Freeing the inventor to continue with research and teaching while we sell the invention

• Managing the promotion and exploitation of an invention through the life of the project

We overcome the barriers by:

Joining INCITE

If you would like to use the services of INCITE, you can join by either

• Going to the web site at www.incite.org.ukor• Giving me a card here today

Membership is free