Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1999

To Encourage and Regulate Technology Transfer The Un i v e r s i t y 's t echno l ogy transfer activities are a relatively recent development, and to encourage and regularize such activities among faculty members, the University adopted a Policy on Research, Consultancies and Intellectual Property i n 1995 to clarify the ownership of intellectual property arising from different kinds of w o r k done by its staff members. It also approved a set of Further Guidelines on Patents and Licensing i n July 1997 to delineate the distribution of gross proceeds from the licensing of patents or technologies. Generally speaking, the inventors are entitled to 25 per cent of such proceeds, but if they choose to use all or part of the money to support their department or project, the University w i ll provide a dollar-to- dollar match as encouragement. The University also expanded its Research Administration Office into a new Research and Technology Adminstration Office to serve as the central point in coordinating the administration of research and technology transfer activities. And in 1999 the Faculty of Engineering launched a Centre for I nnova t i on and Technology to promote applied R&D and help transfer the technologies developed by teachers of the faculty to industries and businesses. University support is also given in the form of allocations for applied R&D, and reflected in its personnel policy which gives recognition to applied research wo rk of originality and merit wh en considering substantiation or promotion cases. Different Routes of Technology Transfer Technology transfer appears i n various forms—licensing, the setting up of spin-off companies, joint ventures, or cooperation w i t h public bodies. To license the technology to a user under contract is the most straightforward method. In return for the right to use the technology, the contracting party wo u ld pay to the University an up-front fee, or a royalty based on turnover or profit, or equity in the company, or a combination of these.