Combining best practices, empirical studies and the authors’ own research on technology transfer offices (TTOs), technology transfer, ecosystems and scientists in the principal investigator role, this book presents a business model framework for TTOs. From a practitioner’s perspective the business model framework captures key elements of TTOs’ strategic and operational activities that are needed for effective management and leadership. Moreover, the frameworkaddresses central issues including strategy, organisational structure, staff and resources, activities, mechanisms, policy and procedures, and evaluation and outcomes, while also consideringcontextual factors that directly and indirectly affectTTOs, namely thecommercialisation culture and ethos,as well as researchers’ commitment, awareness and motivation. For each element of the framework, the book outlines the key success factors and facilitating factors that enable effective technology transfer.

Biotechnology is referred to as one of the key enabling technologies of the 21st century. It has the potential to offer solutions for a number of health and resource-based problems the world is facing, such as unmet medical needs and fossil fuel dependency. Considerable effort and investment has been expended in recent years to try and improve the outcomes of technology transfer in order to fulfill this potential.This book presents seventeen best-practice case studies on the topic of effective technology transfer in biotechnology. The selected case studies focus on technology transfer offices, funding models, incubators, education and clusters. Each presents an overview of an initiative that was deployed in Europe with the aim of supporting and stimulating the transfer of biotechnology discoveries and technologies from research laboratories to society. Readers are provided with a critical assessment of each initiative and policy makers, entrepreneurs, cluster managers and research institute managers will find inspiring lessons they can draw on when developing and implementing similar initiatives elsewhere.These cases are the product of research undertaken as part of the ETTBio (Effective Technology Transfer in Biotechnology) project, co-financed by the European Union (ERDF — European Regional Development Fund) and made possible by the INTERREG IVC Programme. ETTBio commenced in January 2012 and concluded in December 2014.

This edited book presents research results that are relevant for scientists, practitioners and policymakers who engage in knowledge and technology transfer from different perspectives. Empirical and conceptual chapters present original approaches regarding the current practice and policies behind technology transfer. By providing analyses at the macro, meso and micro-level, the respective chapters demonstrate how technology is moving from various organizational contexts into new institutions and becoming a critical aspect for competitiveness.

This study examines and evaluates the recent progress made in seven Asian countries (China, India, Japan, Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand) towards more effective and mutually reinforcing relations between universities and industries in the field of scientific and technological research and proposes a checklist for action to make these relationships even more effective from the broad perspective of the national economy. In particular, it highlights the mechanisms adopted by these Asian countries for technology transfer and pays particular attention to the use of the intellectual property system as an instrument for technology transfer from university to industry. While economic and historical situations are different across Asian countries and no simple solution can be found that is universally applicable throughout the region, it is the hope of the participants in this project that this document will provide some useful lessons and insights, and will thus be helpful to policy-makers who are concerned with evaluating the effectiveness of university- industry relations in their respective countries and identifying ways to improve them.

This is a book on the means by which technological knowledge is transferred from countries that develop it to those that need it, but have not yet been able to develop it on their own. The focus is on the transfer of technology from Western countries to Asian countries.