Fuentek’s Tech Transfer Blog
Fuentek’s technology transfer experts share their insights
about IP management, technology marketing, TTO operations,
strategic planning, best practices, and more.
about IP management, technology marketing, TTO operations,
strategic planning, best practices, and more.
It’s no secret that universities, research institutes, and government labs are excellent sources for innovations that can jump-start new product development. Rather than sink significant resources into starting from scratch internally, companies can leverage others’ technologies. Doing so can not only save money, but it also reduces the risk associated with the early stages of the innovation pipeline….
Today we bring back a reader favorite for our blog. In returning to these “Worth Reading” posts, we’re changing things up to include insights from across Fuentek’s leadership. These perspectives from Laura Schoppe, Danielle McCulloch, and Becky Stoughton are based on the expertise they have gained in doing what we do as well as their past experience. Enjoy!
The past few months have seen several of us at Fuentek supporting multiple clients with negotiating licenses for their technologies. One project that I’ve been helping a client with embodies several best practices of license negotiations. Ironically, these concepts are so essential… that they’re sometimes forgotten. So here is a list we’ve put together to ensure that the most important aspects of license negotiations stay front and center.
This webinar taught technology transfer offices (TTOs) how to coach researchers on speaking with potential collaborators, funders, licensees, and others. These skills also apply when the innovator is launching a startup and talking to venture capitalists (VCs)… even those featured on Shark Tank. Called “Best Practices for Coaching Researchers on Pitching to Investors, Licensees, and Partners,” …
I’ve blogged before about technology transfer offices (TTOs) that are entering a new phase of life. Today I’d like to share Fuentek’s recommendations for the top of your To-Do List for rebooting a TTO. These are based both on what we’ve done for our clients and on my personal experience in the trenches at the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) at the University of Texas at Dallas.
I had the opportunity to serve on a panel discussing the implementation of open innovation models in developing countries at the Franklin Pierce IP Center based in the law school at the University of New Hampshire. This conference brought together professionals, professors, and researchers with expertise in open innovation. My presentation discussed how developing economies would be well served by approaching their R&D and IP management through what we at Fuentek call Symbiotic Innovation.
When it comes to managing the innovation and intellectual property portfolio, technology transfer offices need to be able to see the forest and the trees. TTOs have to evaluate each innovation individually, but they also need to consider its strategic value relative to other IP in the portfolio. Therefore, periodically examining the technologies as a collective — whether it is the entire IP portfolio or just a specific selection of innovations — should be part of the TTO’s itinerary. Of course, “periodically” has two meanings: (1) at regular intervals of time and (2) from time to time. So when is the right time to do a whole/partial IP portfolio review? Here’s my advice.
As I find myself back in Poland to deliver another round of training courses on entrepreneurship to university researchers, I’m reminded of Steve Blank’s fireside chat at the AUTM® national meeting in New Orleans last month. Specifically, I’m thinking about how the feedback loop that plays a major role in the Lean Startup methodology also has a role to play long before a startup is even a gleam in an entrepreneurial researcher’s eye. What’s the Lean Startup feedback loop? Well, according to Eric Ries: “The fundamental activity of a startup is to turn ideas into products, measure how customers respond, and then learn whether to pivot or persevere. All successful startup processes should be geared to accelerate that feedback loop.”
Yesterday Fuentek’s Laura Schoppe participated in a forum sponsored by Honda Jet in Greensboro, N.C., where the focus was on increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. During the panel, Laura presented her concept of a pipeline that is feeding the STEM workforce and the need to address the leaks in it. As shown in the graphic below, the pipeline has four phases: Engage (primary school), Recruit (secondary school), Retain (university), and Sustain (career). Each of these phases needs attention. Happily, Fuentek knows firsthand that there are many examples of great programs happening all along the pipeline.
Now that we’ve sprung forward into Daylight Savings Time, it is also time for university technology transfer offices (TTOs) to spring ahead with their summer internship programs. March is usually the month when TTOs issue their “Apply Now” announcements for summer interns. But all is not lost for TTOs who are just getting started. Although there are significant advantages when you begin planning a new summer internship program the previous fall, March is not too late to start. For example, it was last spring when a university TTO asked Fuentek for help with establishing their internship program. They wanted to start that coming summer, so we jumped in to help them, using the tricks that we have learned over our long history of establishing effective internship programs…
