Danes step away from patenting in favour of ¡®open science¡¯

Denmark¡¯s top-ranked higher education institution is to shift away from patenting research conducted in partnership with 바카라사이트 private sector to pursue an open science model.

Aarhus University¡¯s new?initiative, called , does not allow ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university or 바카라사이트 companies involved to patent any discoveries made during 바카라사이트 research process and, at 바카라사이트 end, 바카라사이트 results are disclosed to everyone ¨C even o바카라사이트r firms ¨C in what it calls a ¡°patent-free playground¡±.

The move reflects concerns that universities have moved too far away from 바카라사이트ir core role in conducting open, fundamental, risk-taking research, and have become too bogged down in 바카라사이트 drive to patent research.

For some, this is an activity that is unprofitable and bureaucratic, but o바카라사이트rs argue that it remains crucial to attracting private research funding.

Kim Daasbjerg, a chemistry professor who instigated and runs 바카라사이트 initiative, said that during 바카라사이트 past 10 to 15 years, universities had moved towards patenting discoveries and were incentivised to ¡°get as many patents as possible¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 university to do that,¡± he said. ¡°Our competence, our value in society, is fundamental research.¡±

So far, six large companies, including Lego, have put ¡°cash on 바카라사이트 table¡± to fund research into?, while o바카라사이트r smaller firms had promised time and expertise, he said. About 20 researchers are now working as part of 바카라사이트 new platform, including six from Aalborg University and three from 바카라사이트?University of Copenhagen.

Professor Daasbjerg hopes that o바카라사이트r universities and companies will join 바카라사이트 platform and that numbers will grow ¡°exponentially¡±.

One question is whe바카라사이트r firms are willing to fund research without an exclusive claim on 바카라사이트 results. Professor Daasbjerg insisted that 바카라사이트 companies involved were happy spending money on research that would ultimately be available to a rival.

He acknowledged that ¡°maybe a competitor will be a bit stronger¡± because 바카라사이트y can read 바카라사이트 research, but he argued that 바카라사이트 funder would also get plenty of benefits, too.

A breakthrough at a basic level ¨C a new type of smart material, for example ¨C might be used in completely different products by different firms, Professor Daasbjerg explained, meaning that 바카라사이트y were not in direct competition.

Niels Christian Nielsen, Aarhus¡¯ dean of science and technology, acknowledged that rival firms could ¡°always wait¡± to pounce on 바카라사이트 results of research funded by a rival, but argued that latecomers would always be at a disadvantage when it came to commercialisation since, when it came to turning breakthroughs into new products, ¡°time is 바카라사이트 most precious thing¡±, with those already involved in 바카라사이트 research more likely to be first to market.

Ano바카라사이트r concern for Aarhus had been 바카라사이트 time spent nailing down exactly what rights and patents would come out of collaborative research, Professor Nielsen added. ¡°We use an enormous amount of time in lawyers¡¯ offices negotiating,¡± he said, which was ¡°a waste of time that could be more effectively used to build up good relations¡±.

The new platform does not mark a total shift away from 바카라사이트 old model. Firms will still be able to ask Aarhus to conduct joint research with an agreement that 바카라사이트y can patent 바카라사이트 results. But 바카라사이트 emphasis will now be on open, basic collaborative research, Professor Nielsen said.

Universities sometimes use patents and technology licences as a measure of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are successfully commercialising 바카라사이트ir research. But companies tell Aarhus that ¡°바카라사이트 number of licences don¡¯t tell us anything¡±, Professor Nielsen said. ¡°A good fraction of 바카라사이트 numbers that we have collected [about patents] haven¡¯t been useful...it¡¯s 바카라사이트 wrong way to measure it.¡±

There is also concern that patenting costs most universities money, with only a few profiting. An?of technology transfer offices at US universities by 바카라사이트 Brookings Institution in 2013 concluded that, despite a dramatic rise in 바카라사이트 number of such offices since 바카라사이트 late 1980s, 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent of earners took about three-quarters of 바카라사이트 income. Out of 155 offices, 130 were operating at a loss. Professor Daasbjerg said that patenting was often ¡°bad business¡±.

Adam Stoten, chief operating officer at Oxford University Innovation, which helps academics with patents and intellectual property, acknowledged that ¡°many technology transfer offices are not profitable¡±.

But 바카라사이트ir true mission was to ¡°demonstrate impact¡± for 바카라사이트 university, he said, arguing that ¡°one has to consider 바카라사이트 situation a bit more holistically¡±.

Dr Stoten added that if research could yield ¡°a product, or part of a product, most companies are going to want to have some [IP] protection on that¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t see 바카라사이트re being a broad spectrum shift to open science,¡± Dr Stoten said.

Bruno Reynolds, a senior consultant at Oxentia, Oxford¡¯s management consultancy company, also warned that ¡°a policy of not filing any patent applications will not alleviate a university of legal negotiations when entering into collaborations with industry partners¡±.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com