I am proud of how Fuentek has offered knowledge leadership and training for tech transfer professionals across the U.S. through our white papers, webinars, and other educational services. Now, we’ve linked up with a company in Spain to expand that knowledge transfer to European organizations looking to increase the return on investment for research and development through tech transfer. Specifically, we’ve recently partnered with Knowledge Investors of Vigo, Spain, a company that collaborates with universities, companies, and investors to generate and develop business opportunities within the fields of science and technology. If you don’t speak Spanish, click the inglés link in the upper-right corner of their site…. Continue reading →
As Nannette Stangle-Castor and I get ready for Fuentek’s new webinar on implementing open innovation best practices in technology transfer offices (TTOs), I am reminded of conversations I’ve had with a wide range of tech transfer professionals over the years. What has struck me time and again in these discussions is the broad applicability of open innovation concepts to tech transfer and the value of implementing these concepts in a proactive manner. Despite the fact that government, university, and corporate TTOs vary in their missions, perspectives on innovation, goals/metrics, and economic and entrepreneurial climates, they all have the potential to benefit from implementing sound principles related to open innovation. 
Most of you who have read my posts know that I am a strong advocate of open innovation innovation and its application in conjunction with tech transfer efforts. I truly believe it is through the combining of diverse interests and capabilities that meaningful innovations are developed and important impacts can occur. So today I want to summarize what to me are the most important things to keep in mind as you consider open innovation partnerships in your tech transfer work. 
Fuentek president Laura Schoppe and I are putting the finishing touches on a new webinar that will provide technology transfer offices with specific solutions for securing open innovation-style collaborations and partnerships. It’s called Implementing Open Innovation: Symbiotic Success for Tech Transfer Offices (TTOs). We’ve blogged before about how Symbiotic Innovation is the notion that technology spin-out (commercializing technology) and spin-in (technology sourcing, collaborative R&D partnerships) are interdependent activities that are best pursued simultaneously. Every R&D organization has technologies or expertise that might meet the needs of external users (spin-out) as well as needs that might be solved by external technologies/expertise (spin-in). Spin-out asks, “Who needs what I have?” Spin-in asks, “Who has what I need?” Symbiotic Innovation recognizes that the “who” in both questions is the same. 
We at Fuentek have run across some interesting items that I think you’ll want to read. In fact, we’ve decided to turn this occasional post into a monthly feature on our blog. Happy reading, and let us know what you think by posting a comment below or by sending us a private message via our Contact Us page. 
Sometimes the most straightforward tech transfer situation can turn into something completely different. Sometimes the simple spin-out of a technology can morph into a larger collaborative R&D partnership. This is why Fuentek always takes a Symbiotic Innovation approach when helping our clients with technology transfer. And today’s Stories from the Field post describes just such a case. 