Process Exploitation Final

www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu

Exploitation

FITT

(Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)

2 | 05.03.2010 Exploitation

Process “Exploitation” in general

Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) among Universities and Research

Centres are created in order to optimize the exploitation of R&D outputs.

Exploitation as such should not be limited to the creation of financial value.

Succesfull exploitation does not depend solely on the TTOs but also rely on

the socio-economic environment of the R&D project and the University and/or

Research Centre.

TTOs are therefore to be considered either as facilitators or managers of the

exploitation process, on a case by case basis.


Process “Exploitation” in general

In the activity of IP Management,

exploitation is perceived as a legal

and business focused activity.

(see activity “IP Management”

for more details about this

triangulation)

VALUATIONVALUATION EXPLOITATIOEXPLOITATIONN

PROTECTIONPROTECTION

Business

LegalTechnology

IP Management


TTOs and exploitation services

TTOs can support at various levels the exploitation (meaning the active use) of any given asset by it’s socio-economic environment.

Such levels are apprehended hereby as opportunities for services, which are :

• On demand services

• Horizontal integrated services

• Vertical integrated services


“Exploitation” as on-demand services

On demand services related to the exploitation of R&D results

• Such services are usually punctual.

• At a strategic level, their positioning related to the exploitation plan is purely

operational.

• In such a scheme, TTOs solely assist the exploitation of R&D results. All

exploitation-related decisions are taken at the project level, and the impact of

TTOs on exploitation strategies is marginal.

IdeaIdea ResultsResults ExploitationExploitationR&DR&D

TTOsTTOs


“Exploitation” as horizontal integrated services

Horizontal integrated services for exploitation imply that TTOs have a

secondary role related to the exploitation strategy and conduct

• TTOs help at optimizing IP protection.

• TTOs impact the exploitation strategy by seeking for secondary markets, but

they do not influence the R&D process leading to exploitable results.

• Compare to on demand services, TTOs have an ability to trully optimize and

not only assist the exploitation of project results.

IdeaIdea ResultsResults ExploitationExploitationR&DR&D

TTOsTTOs

Secondary marketsSecondary markets


“Exploitation” as vertical integrated services

TTOs positionning their services on a vertical scale impact deeply R&D

projects

• “Roles” are inverted, in the sens that all R&D projects are managed in order

to enrich a strategically managed IP pool. Decisions related to the

orientation of research is therefore less in the hands of researchers.

• TTOs have a primary role in exploitation strategy, with continuous activities

set at a decisionnal level related to the exploitation of the R&D results.

IdeaIdea IP PoolsIP Pools ExploitationExploitationR&DR&D TTOsTTOs

MarketsMarkets


TTOs role and strategic exploitation impact

TTOs Services On Demand Horizontal integration

Vertical integration

Activities related to exploitation

Assistance Seek secondary markets

Complete decision control

Role related to exploitation strategy

Marginal Secondary Primary

Occurrence of activities

Ponctual Frequent Continuous

Decisionnal levels Operationnal Managerial Strategic


Parts of the process

The object is not to cover and expose the whole range of practices

commonly in use in the field of exploitation.

A focus on ICT particular issues in the FITT project propose the

following practices:

• Practices related to FOSS Licensing

• Practice Exploitation Scenarios

• Case open source business case

• Case ideal technology transfer


Practice “FOSS Licensing”

FOSS licensing (Free and Open Source Software)

The process is divided in various parts, all of which have an impact on

exploitation

Free and Open Source licensing is a specific approach to exploitation

(freedom is granted to use, modify, distribute, under certain limitations)

Choosinga license

Acquiringthird party

software

Managingthe

contributions

Code auditand

validation

Governingthe

community

Diffusionand

tracking

Part 1 : Initial guidelines Part 2 : Governance rules Part 3 : Transfer & Licensing out


Practice “Exploitation Scenarios”

This practice illustrates various possible exploitation scenarios from R&D

to post-project stages

The practice relates to other processes such as

• Valuation of technologies

• Elaboration of transfer scenarios

• Management of financial compensation


Case “Open Source Business”

This case exposes the global exploitation strategy (in its legal and business aspects)

Case exposed is iText, a pdf generator software licensed under an Open Source license

Case exposes some important licensing and IP management aspects which strongly impact

the exploitation strategy


Case “Ideal transfer case”

Case exposes a transfer activity led by INRIA in partnership with Texas Instrument

Assets exploited as described in the case range from tacit ideas to codified technology :

Case is an ideal illustration of a successfull exploitation strategy

The whole transfer chain was covered


Suggested Readings

Link to code book:

intellectual property, intellectual property protection, intellectual property

rights, patent, software patent, copyright, invention, inventor, invention

disclosure, non disclosure, research result, background, exploitation,

valuation, spin off, start-up, standardisation, licensing.

Link to relevant websites:

• http://www.epo.org

• http://www.uspto.gov

• http://www.wipo.int

Documents

Process Exploitation Final