What is technology transfer?

Technology transfer is a term that describes a formal transfer of rights to use and commercialize new discoveries and innovations resulting from scientific research to another party.

Universities typically transfer technology through protecting (using patents, trademarks and copyrights), then licensing the innovations.

The major steps in this process include:

• Disclosure of Inventions
• Records Management
• Evaluation and marketing
• Patent Prosecution
• Draft and negotiation of license agreements
• Management of active licenses

Who benefits?

University technology transfer efforts afford significant opportunities to several communities:

• To the university, technology transfer gives the academic community the opportunity to have a positive impact on the marketplace, products and economic impact
• To the industrial community, technology transfer gives the private, for-profit sector the means to tap the very significant world of new discovery found in the academic laboratory
• To the public at large, technology transfer provides the opportunity to benefit from extraordinary new advances being made by the brightest minds.

[--adapted from Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)]