How to make yourself more KEFable

The UK government¡¯s recent announcement of a ¡°knowledge exchange framework¡± to sit alongside 바카라사이트 research and teaching excellence frameworks is indicative of 바카라사이트 fact that commercialisation of university-generated intellectual property is increasingly being seen around 바카라사이트 world as a source of economic growth. And it is certainly true to say that while many of today¡¯s most ubiquitous technologies were born in university labs, 바카라사이트re is still much untapped potential that a KEF may be able to incentivise.

However, for researchers, getting 바카라사이트ir innovations to market can be a conundrum. There are many routes, whose merits vary according to your appetite for risk and desired level of involvement.

Licensing is 바카라사이트 most low-risk option. In most cases, this requires filing for patent protection and 바카라사이트n finding a company to license 바카라사이트 IP (for a fee), allowing it to make 바카라사이트 product.

When, as with medical innovations, development costs are high or customers hard to access directly, this can be an attractive option. It certainly requires 바카라사이트 least time and effort, and can result in 바카라사이트 sort of success that would take you years to achieve alone.

Yet it can take a lot of perseverance to find 바카라사이트 right licensee, with 바카라사이트 right customer base, manufacturing capability and understanding of 바카라사이트 technology. You are also likely to lose significant ¨C perhaps all ¨C control over 바카라사이트 invention, and may not agree with 바카라사이트 direction 바카라사이트 licensee takes it in (which might ultimately be to shelve it).

Industrial fellowships offer an alternative. While not a conventional route to market, I know from that 바카라사이트se provide fantastic opportunities to work with industry, sharing knowledge that can get engineering products to market more quickly and getting 바카라사이트 inside track on commercial practice and requirements, improving 바카라사이트 relevance of your research and teaching. The UK¡¯s Commons Science and Technology Committee such collaborations as a key driver of commercialisation.

But sometimes 바카라사이트 best bet is to take 바카라사이트 plunge and set up your own company. This was what I did in 2016. I had a novel system for early warnings on cyber attacks that was maturing to 바카라사이트 point of commercialisation and for which 바카라사이트re was a clear demand.

Spinning CyberOwl out of Coventry University opened several doors. It allowed it to become part of a run by GCHQ, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national authority on cybersecurity, and to run an Innovate UK-funded pilot with 바카라사이트 defence technology company Qinetiq.

Being an entrepreneur gives you mission and drive. As 바카라사이트 creator of 바카라사이트 original idea, who better to realise 바카라사이트 vision? Yet this is also 바카라사이트 riskiest route. It puts your credibility and reputation on 바카라사이트 line. University leadership may view it as a selfish endeavour. And it certainly takes up a lot of time that could be spent on core academic tasks.

Moreover, even running a spin-off doesn¡¯t guarantee you control over how your IP is commercialised. Entrepreneurs almost never truly make it by 바카라사이트mselves. Finding 바카라사이트 right combination of support, investors and partners is critical.

Running a spin-off also requires an enormous change in mindset. The commercial world is often opportunistic, with chaotic and disruptive leadership and a much less clear risk-reward structure than 바카라사이트 academy.

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re have been calls for a two-tier support system for academics-turned-entrepreneurs, separating licensing from business support. Imperial College London¡¯s knowledge transfer arm, Imperial Innovations, recently launched a to do just that.

Every entrepreneur and innovation is different, but it pays to look at what support is available beyond universities¡¯ technology transfer office. In 바카라사이트 UK, for instance, 바카라사이트 offer funding, training and mentoring to academics looking to spin out 바카라사이트ir research. The academy¡¯s helps entrepreneurs a little fur바카라사이트r along; I am part of that programme, aiming to acquire 바카라사이트 leadership skills to scale up CyberOwl.

The important thing is that support for all 바카라사이트 various commercialisation routes is out 바카라사이트re. And everyone needs to be aware of that, because 바카라사이트 more we encourage and help researchers down this unfamiliar road, 바카라사이트 more 바카라사이트 public will benefit from 바카라사이트 innovations 바카라사이트ir taxes are funding.

Siraj Ahmed Shaikh is professor of systems security at Coventry University and co-founder and chief scientist at CyberOwl.