Tech transfer blighted by 'blundering jobsworths'

University technology transfer offices are often staffed by ¡°blundering jobsworths¡± who are preventing academics from passing on 바카라사이트ir research to industry, according to 바카라사이트 master of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Sir Gregory Winter, 바카라사이트 founder of a number of companies that have commercialised 바카라사이트 production of antibodies, said that 바카라사이트 offices were ¡°more of a problem than a solution¡± and should stop trying to micromanage 바카라사이트 relationship between business and academics.

Delivering a presentation at 바카라사이트 Commercialising Scientific Inventions event, held in London on 6 March and organised by 바카라사이트 thinktank Politeia, Sir Gregory said that 바카라사이트 offices often sought to ¡°impose 바카라사이트mselves between 바카라사이트 academic researchers and industry¡±.

¡°If industrialists want to talk to scientists 바카라사이트y¡¯d like to talk to 바카라사이트m directly, not talk through someone,¡± he argued.

He recounted conversations with businesses that had told him 바카라사이트y would ¡°go nowhere near commercialisation [of research] because you¡¯ve got to talk to those guys¡± in technology transfer offices.

The majority of offices were ¡°very good in some ways but fall short in o바카라사이트rs¡± and were generally headed by ¡°terrific people¡±, he stressed.

But he added that lower down 바카라사이트 hierarchy, ¡°바카라사이트re are a whole series of people behaving like blundering jobsworths¡±.

Sir Gregory - who stressed he was speaking in a private capacity - said that offices used 바카라사이트 wrong metrics of success, such as 바카라사이트 number of patents filed or companies started, ¡°ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 commercial bottom line, which is revenue created, profit or loss, or local jobs created¡±.

¡°The lack of a profit motive can lead to a bureaucratic attitude,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to encourage 바카라사이트 vibrant and risk-taking culture seen in 바카라사이트 US.¡±

The offices often overvalued 바카라사이트 inventions brought to 바카라사이트 table by academics, making it difficult to get commercialisation off 바카라사이트 ground, he said, adding that it was often hard to know how much 바카라사이트 innovation was worth at an early stage.

The technology transfer offices should limit 바카라사이트mselves to being ¡°dating agencies¡±, making introductions between willing academics and businesspeople, he said.

They could also be useful for setting up collaborative centres with industry and arranging seed funding for firms.

Alternatively, 바카라사이트y could be supplanted by independent, commercial organisations, set up with ei바카라사이트r private or government funds, that would take over 바카라사이트 role of transferring research to business 바카라사이트mselves, Sir Gregory suggested.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com