Industry Perspectives on Licensing University Technologies

Abstract

The authors report results of a survey of industry licensing executives who identified personal contacts between their R&D staff and university personnel as the most important source of university technologies. Journal publications and presentations at professional meetings were also important. While the least important sources were marketing efforts by universities and canvassing of universities, a number of executives did indicate that they were important. For those who do not license-in from universities, the most important reasons for not licensing-in (other than limited overall license-in activities) were reasons related to the nature of university research. A number cited university policies regarding delay of publication and ownership.

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References

Jansen

Christina

Dillon

Harrison F.

, ‘Where do the leads for licenses come from? Source data from six institutions’, Journal of the Association of University Technology Managers, Vol 11, 1999, pp 51–66

Subsequently published as ‘Where do the leads for licences come from? Source data from six US institutions’, Industry and Higher Education, Vol 14, No 3, June 2000, pp 150–156.

While there is an extensive economics literature on the ways in which businesses learn and apply academic research, existing studies have not focused on licensing per se. For notable examples, see Mansfield

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, ‘Academic research underlying industrial innovations: Sources, characteristics, and financing’, Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol 77, February 1995, pp 55–65

Cohen

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Data are derived from the AUTM Licensing Survey: FY 1997, op cit, Ref 3. The comparison of research funding to the AUTM data is not strictly correct, as the AUTM records research expenditures.

We asked the question in this way as our primary interest here was in the role of industry researchers.

op cit, Ref 1.

10.

op cit, Ref 1.