December 2007
AUTM: 2006 University Licensing Survey
2006 AUTM U.S. Licensing Activity Survey, which includes statistical contributions from 189 research performing institutions, and "demonstrates how [university] technology transfer professionals assist researchers in bringing these new products and services to market for the benefit of society and the economy." Highlights from this year's report:
- $45 billion in R&D expenditures were received by U.S. academic centers
- 697 new products introduced into the market in 2006 -- 4,350 introduced from FY98 through FY06
- 553 new startup companies launched in 2006
- 672 licenses and options were managed, yielding active income (each single license represents a one-on-one relationship between a company and a university, hospital or research institution that earns income on products that benefit our communities)
- 5,724 new spinouts from FY80 through FY06
See also the Inside HigherEd article for details on the top 20 universities (and university systems) in the report (based on licensing income) for 2006.
November 2007
Battelle/AURP: Report on University Research Parks
Characteristics and Trends in North American Research Parks: 21st Century Directions, reports the findings of a survey of 134 research parks in the U.S. and Canada. According to the report, "more than 300,000 workers in North America work in a university research park, and every job in a research park generates an average of 2.57 jobs in the economy resulting in a total employment impact of more than 750,000 jobs." Further, "[R]esearch parks are emerging as strong sources of entrepreneurship, talent and economic competitiveness for regions, states and nations." See the report for more details and the AURP press release.
NSF/Innovation Associates: Tech Transfer at Smaller Schools
Technology Transfer and Commercialization Partnerships, showcases 10 small schools that have produced exceptional tech transfer successes despite limited R&D budgets. As summarized by SSTI, "[W]hile discussions of successful university technology transfer programs tend to revolve around a select set of high-achieving institutions, a number of less-recognized institutions are now being proposed as national models for their approaches to entrepreneurial support and regional outreach … The list includes institutions that are maximizing the impact of their research investment and entrepreneurial programs despite their small size, geographic isolation, or limited R&D budget." See also BusinessWeek article on the report.
April 2007
Ewing Kauffmann Foundation: University Tech Transfer Programs
Commercializing University Innovations: A Better Way is a critical report on university tech transfer that contends that university tech transfer offices have a "home run mentality" when it comes to tech transfer, which keeps other research projects from "reaching first base" in the commercialization process. The report notes that after "more than twenty five years [since Bayh-Dole] it is clear that few universities have established an overall strategy to foster innovation, commercialization and spillovers." Further, that tech transfer office have "become gatekeepers that in many cases constrain the flow of inventions and frustrate faculty, entrepreneurs and industry." As reported in the Kansas City Business Journal, the study "argues that universities should shift from a sole focus on a patent/licensing model, which seeks to maximize income, to a 'volume' model … [which] emphasizes the number of innovations that university research generates and the speed at which those innovations are commercialized." See the Raleigh News & Observer article for response from the university environment.
