Higher education has responded positively and in a variety of ways to changing business and industrial needs, using imagination to establish cooperative relationships. In Ireland, identifying industry's workforce needs was central to successful cooperation. Bridging the two very different cultures has also required creation of an appropriate…

Increasingly, academic institutions are asked to redress perceived national and regional economic shortcomings directly through technology transfer, formation of new companies, and product development; but the effectiveness of these mechanisms is unproven. Academic administrators must assess the match between capability and goals and preserve the…

The need for research administrators to understand and appreciate the pharmaceutical industry's research and development environment is discussed, using examples from Canada. The research administrator's role in the technology transfer process and implications for faculty are examined. Ways to build closer school-industry ties are discussed. (MSE)

The issues universities must address in developing technology transfer policies and activities are examined, including definition of academic, financial, and economic objectives; identification of available resources; creation of a favorable institutional environment; appropriate arrangements for research administration and industry liaison; and…

Issues in technology transfer of inventions created through federally-funded, university-based research are reviewed, and the role of the Patent and Trademarks Amendments Act of 1980 in changing the presumption of title is discussed. (MSE)

It is suggested that small- and medium-sized public universities without a commercial tradition reorganize the research administration function to serve as information clearinghouses, conduct "business intelligence," and identify new technologies and entrepreneurs among researchers. Research administration could include other practical functions…

The major concerns in university-industry research relationships, discussed from an industrial viewpoint, include: research and development (R&D) within the firm, for an industry, and for a society; types of R&D organizations; working with universities and government labs; potential problems; and possible directions for the future. (MSE)

Success in university-industry cooperative ventures depends on (1) a mutual understanding of the parties' needs and expectations from the outset, (2) understanding of individual responsibilities in collaborative efforts, (3) policy to accommodate both security and publication of results, (4) mechanisms to avoid divisiveness, and (5) scientific…

All-inclusive patent and licensing policies of research universities ignore the strengths of individual disciplines and varied needs of industrial sponsors. Some academic units are involved primarily in incremental improvement, while others generate breakthrough developments. Industry also pursues differential innovation patterns. Disciplines…

New Jersey is strengthening its high-technology economy by encouraging technology transfer through supporting advanced technology centers, funding academic researchers for technical problems of immediate industry interest and application, and forming other, less-structured alliances. Better interaction between the state's research community and…

A 1992 international seminar on strategies for promoting technology transfer in European universities is summarized. Issues addressed include objectives of technology transfer, evaluation of available resources, institutional climate supporting technology transfer, appropriate administrative arrangements, and the differing perspectives of industry…

Comparison of patent policies of universities in France, Great Britain, Germany, and the United States suggests that, although U.S. institutions' policies are far better developed, the European universities are capable of the same success, even within existing administrative frameworks. Economic, scientific, and national development benefits are…

The commercialization of university research and the growing importance of technology transfer is examined through discussing and comparing the history of technology transfer and its organization in four major American research universities: University of California, Berkley; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stanford University; and…

Basic ethical guidelines for intellectual property disputes between universities and industry include (1) negotiate in best faith; (2) vest patent ownership in the university partner; (3) grant the industrial partner exclusive license in most desired field of use; (4) allow industrial partner to negotiate over serendipitous discoveries outside…

University-industry relations are examined in the context of countries in which universities are seen as potential resources for regional development. Issues discussed include different forms of cooperation, pricing of research, competition, intellectual property rights, choice of company for developing a discovery, and the broader issue of…