Commercialising Research and Innovation

1. Commercialising
Research and Innovation
Samir Hamid
Toni Barta
Nathan Tilsley
Andrew Jolly
Orlando Zambrano
Abeer Shahid

2. Overview
● Commercialisation Processes
○ 3 Example Processes
○ Resources required, critical success factors, potential barriers
● Types of IP
○ Spin Out & Licensing
● Private sector comparison
● Suitability & Recommendations

3. Commercialisation Processes
Researched different universities:
● University of Sheffield
● University of Oxford
● Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

4. University of Sheffield
● 5 stages to commercialise
● Idea may be withdrawn / fail at
any stage
● Commercialisation partner -
Fusion IP - assists in the process

5. University of Oxford
● 6 steps to commercialise
● University owned company
‘ISIS’ assists after validation of
commercial potential

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

7. Common Resources Required
● Idea or Inventions
● IP protection strategy
● Commercialisation strategy
● Business plan
● Investment & Funding

8. Common Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
● Originality and feasibility - Solve a problem better than
current solutions
● Clarification of IP ownership
● Assessment of the IP position - e.g. state of
development (Technology Readiness Level (TRL))
● Market research and potential

9. ● Market research
● Better solutions exist
● Investment and partners
○ Cost of commercialising
● License interest
● Time commitment (Spin-out companies)
Common Potential Barriers

10. Differences
Resources Required
- Commercialisation manager
Potential Barriers
- Harder to find investment in UK than US
- Experience in the US
Others
- MIT reinvests back to fund additional research.

11. Types of IP
● Copyright - protects the idea
● Trademarks - defines a product name
● Patents - exclusive rights to an invention
● Design - protects physical appearance

12. Phase Focus - Spin Out
A Microscope without a Lens
● A University of Sheffield spin-out established in 2012
● Raised £5.7m in an equity based funding
Why create a Spin Out?
● Completely new product
● Investor interest and funding opportunity
● Create own brand
● Potential new market

13. Sequenom - Licensing
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
● Technology patent rights developed in University of Oxford in 1997
● Licensed out to Sequenom in 2005
Why use Licensing?
● Lack of experience and employees for spin-out
● Faster return and less development required
● Limited market for the product
● Cost to setup a spin-out would be high

14. Difference between Private & Public
● R&D is completed to obtain a profit
○ Ideas based on public demand
● Private sector acquire ideal companies - e.g. Facebook & WhatsApp
● Invest in other companies - e.g. Google & robot maker (Savioke)
● Invest heavily in marketing the product - e.g. Apple iPhone
● Focus on licenses and joint ventures - e.g . Microsoft & Windows OS

15. Suitability & Recommendations
● Join up with other university(s)
○ Combine skills to create a better product
● Protect your IP before publishing research
● Crowdfunding - e.g. Kickstarter
● IP Mentors for Inventors
● Research Open Days

16. Leo Kelion (2014) 'Google invests in Silicon Valley robot-maker Savioke', BBC News,9th April, p. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-
26958985.
Sheffield (2014) Commercialising research outputs, Available at:http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/commercialising (Accessed: 1st October 2014).
Isis Innovation (2014) PRE-NATAL TESTING - SEQUENOM, Available at:http://www.isis-innovation.com/news/successstories/Sequenom.html
(Accessed: 1st October 2014).
Isis Innovation (2014) Spin-Out Companies, Available at: http://isis-innovation.com/spinout/index.html (Accessed: 1st October 2014).
Massachusetts Institution of Technology (2014) An Inventor’s Guide to Technology Transfer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,
Available at:http://web.mit.edu/tlo/www/downloads/pdf/inventors_guide.pdf (Accessed: 1st October 2014).
SEQUENOM (2014) SEQUENOM Secures Rights to Key Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnostic Intellectual Property, Available at: http://www.
prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sequenom-secures-rights-to-key-non-invasive-prenatal-diagnostic-intellectual-property-155557505.html
(Accessed: 05 October 2014).
BBC (2014) Google invests in Silicon Valley robot-maker Savioke, Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26958985 (Accessed: 05
October 2014).
References

17. Questions?