Transcript 7th WIPO FORUM ON IP & SMEs (14th & 15th September 2009, Geneva) The need to develop improved models of interface between HEIs.

7th WIPO FORUM ON IP & SMEs
(14th & 15th September 2009, Geneva)
The need to develop improved models of
interface between HEIs &
their indigenous SME communities
Andrew Beale
Director, IP Wales
10-11 September 2008
At the Gala Dinner Wales’ First Minister set out his
Government’s vision for the new knowledge-rich
economy of post devolution Wales, an economy with IP
at its core underpinned by a research base driven by
Welsh universities. But what insights might the Welsh
experience have to offer to the international IP
observer?
•
UK performance masks a wide variation in
innovative performance within its regional
economies and universities
Whilst the UK may perform well
in comparison with other
European economies, the
performance of its regions
ranges from 12th (South-East)
to 113th (Northern Ireland), with
Wales ranked 89th out of 203
European regions (9 places
below Scotland).
concludes that compared to
counterparts in Australia,
Canada & USA the
performance of UK
universities is “good and
improving”, with Unico
commercialisation surveys
demonstrating a clear
correlation between large
research incomes derived
from research funding/grants
and the strongest
commercialisation
performance.
A recent comparative analysis
(Beale, Blackaby & Mainwaring, Higher Educational Quarterly,
of patenting activity by
universities serving the three
recently devolved jurisdictions
of Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland shows that
whilst patent filings, per
researcher, in Wales maybe on
a par with that of Scotland (and
double the rate of Northern
Ireland) the academic research
base is only around half that of
Scotland in per capita terms
and is currently dominated by
the performance of a single
university.
2008)
ENGLAND (RG)
SCOTLAND
WALES
Cardiff University stands as Wales’
sole representative within the selfselecting ‘Russell Group’ of leading
UK research universities, so the
dramatic drop in its Times Higher UK
research ranking from 8th in 2001 to
equal 22nd in 2008 is at best
discouraging - even this performance
was only made achievable by failing to
submit for scrutiny a third of eligible
research staff, resulting in the lowest
percentage submission for the top 30
UK universities.
IRELAND
Moreover RAE 2008 reveals a
massive Welsh deficit when
compared with Scotland in
terms of world-class STEM
research – science,
technology, engineering and
mathematics. Wales has under
120 researchers operating in
this field at the highest level,
with something approaching
80% of these being based at
Cardiff University (over 50%)
and Swansea University
(which leads in engineering).
•
Wales’new sector approach to Economic
Development has yet to be integrated with
a Science Policy & underpinned by patent
strength
In its consultation on a
‘Science Policy for Wales’
the Welsh Assembly
Government proposed that a
science policy focussed on
innovation should
concentrate on the areas of
health, low carbon energy
and enabling sustained
social and economic renewal.
The responses largely agreed
with the areas’ foci but many
advocated a need for greater
In their new approach to Economic
Development the Ministerial
Advisory Group identified 14 key
sectors for Wales; 3 of which are
deemed core enabling sectors
(energy, environmental
management, telecommunications
& ICT); This sector approach is
significant because the use of IP
varies substantially between
sectors e.g. ICT requires a rapid
transfer of know-how (technical
knowledge not found in a patent)
into its products, creative industries
look for the transfer of skilled
people into multi-disciplinary
teams, whilst life sciences and the
pharmaceutical sector demand
strong IP protection.
3rd ANNUAL FORUM of IP OFFICES
IP Wales® HEI Benchmarking Project
However, these selected sectors are not reflective of
Welsh universities’ traditional areas of patent strength. In
relative terms, Wales’ weakness was most pronounced in
electronics and communications. Forward citation
analysis (citing of an earlier patent in a later patent) can be
a useful indicator of commercial interest in the technology
and in this regard the performance of Welsh university
patents has been notably poorer in recent years.
animal husbandry
bioactives, pesticides, growth reg
med-surg instruments and tests
dental
patient transport, tables
pharma
surgical articles, disinfection
medical, surgical devices
separation
catalysis, colloids
magnetic, electric separation
metal casting
printing, copying
cranes, hoists
cement, composites
all-carbon organics
heterocyclics
complex organics, silicon, boron
sugars, nucleic acids
peptides
polysaccharides
corrosion inhibitors
genetic engineering
microbe testing
excavation, hydraulics
doors, gates, windows
electronic, magnetic measurement
radio wave measurement
computer systems
data processing
computer computation
acoustics, musical inst
semiconductors
generators, motors
cable installation
chem or phys analytics
England
Scotland
Region
England
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
Wales
n
2 S.D.
4140
858
243
323
2.7
3.9
0.7
2.1
Ireland
•There is little evidence to suggest that
the Welsh HEI/SME interface is working
The seminal Lambert Review
(2003) concluded that;
Universities will have to get
better at identifying their
areas of competitive strength,
Government will have to do
more to support business
collaboration with the
university sector, Business
will have to learn how to
exploit the innovative ideas
that are being developed
within the university sector.
UK Funders Forum identified
three barriers to the
effectiveness of universities
assisting industry; an overemphasis on IP ownership,
lack of clarity on the aims of
any collaborative research
and variable practices in
negotiation.
Wales has taken little
cognizance, when
compared with Scotland, of
the National Audit Office
recommendation in 2002
that institutions, “may
benefit from combining to
create a significant body of
intellectual property…in the
same, or similar, market or
geographical sectors”.
Demonstrated
a strategic
deficit in the
effectiveness
of publicly
funded
programmes
to create and
realise value
from research
conducted in
Welsh
universities.
A specific
concern
which arose
is, “brilliant
academics
must not be
turned into
mediocre
managers”.
Found that
whilst nearly
half the HEIs
surveyed had
set targets for
commercialisati
on, most
focussed on
quantitative
targets only (e.g
number of
licences
granted, numbe
of patents,
number of spinoffs created) an
very few set
more
businesslike
targets relating
to the net
financial gain to
Jones review of Higher
Education in Wales
(published 23rd June 2009)
calls for improved links
between business and
universities…talks explicitly
about the need for
universities to change by
integrating the needs of
SMEs into the core
business of universities.
7th WIPO FORUM ON IP & SMEs
(14th & 15th September 2009)
The need to develop improved models of
interface between HEIs &
their indigenous SME communities
Andrew Beale
Director, IP Wales