Within each research organization the adoption and dissemination of clear rules regarding technology transfer and the management of intellectual property greatly facilitate collaborations with industrial partners. A charter proposing guidelines for strategic management in this regard is available in the FITT toolbox. Without any legal constraints, it can easily be used by other research institutions. Based on the results of a European task force and already in force in many research institutions in France, this charter has received the support of the FITT consortium. www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu

1. Charter for Intellectual Property &
Technology transfer
FITT
– Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer –
www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

2. The Charter on Intellectual Property of the
Carnot Institutes
• Harmonised set of principles for Intellectual Property and Knowledge Transfer
• Adopted in 2008 by the Carnot Institutes (French label and network of 33
research laboratories/organizations active in partnership research with
companies)
• Close links with a similar initiative at EU level
• Supported by the FITT partners
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3. The Content
• Structured in 3 parts:
 Policy relating to Intellectual Property (IP)
 Knowledge and Technology Transfer Policy (KTT)
 Principles concerning collaboration and research contracts
• 23 articles
• Adopted by the representatives of the 33 Carnot institutes
• Validated by all their supervisory organizations (“organismes de tutelles”)
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4. The Content
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25.09.2009 Name / Event
Intellectual Property Charter

5. The (Hi)Story of the Charter
• 2 months to draft the charter, 6 months for adoption
• Part of wider, global European context
April 2008
2007 End 200 7-2008 Publication by Spring to Fall Fall 2008 December 2009 Mars 2010
Initiative of German IP task force in European 2008 The 33 Carnot Digiteo adopts the Support of the FITT
EU presidency for EARTO* to draft Commission of Best practice institutes validate Charter consortium
guidelines to guidelines for Recommendations committee of and adopt the
improve research- Research & on IP and Carnot institutes Charter
enterprises Technology Knowledge drafts its own
relations Organisations Transfer ** charter
* European Association of Research and Technology Organisations
**Commission Recommendation on the Management of Intellectual Property in Knowledge Transfer Activities and Code of Practice for universities and
other public research organisations C(2008)1329
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6. Stakeholders
• Who was involved in the redaction of the Charter?
The Best Practices Committee of the Carnot Institutes Association gathers
several thematic working groups, with the objective to exchange and produce
recommendations to harmonize the practices between the institutes.
One working group launched the work on the IP charter. One writer was in
charge of the redaction, based on the discussions of the working group (10
persons, mostly jurists and technology transfer managers) and iterations with
the board of directors for comments.
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7. Stakeholders
• Who is concerned by the Charter?
- In France,13 000 public research professionals are concerned:
- 12% of public research staff
- 45% of the research with industry
- Potentially, 130 Research & Technical Organisations (RTOs) in Europe
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8. PROs & CONs
PROs CONs
• A common language
• Image of professionalism towards • Validation process and signature
external partners often long
• Recommendations : no legally- • When drafting the charter, one
binding content must conciliate the need to be as
• Easy to be adopted as such but it precise and concrete as possible
can also be adapted according to their and the difficulty to comply with the
needs of other research organisations different legal status and functioning
of the organizations.
• Reinforcement the cohesion of the
Carnot network
• Tool for harmonisation of practices at
EU level
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9. Rationale
• Mix of political & structural drivers:
• - Structural: one objective of the Carnot Institutes is to improve the institutes'
professionalism and to homogenize the practices between them.
• - Political: in line with European and national recommendations to put technology
transfer as primary mission for the public research organisations and encourage
them to establish policies and procedures with regards to Intellectual Property.
• By adopting such a Charter, the Carnot Institutes meet the expectations of companies,
which call for a coherent framework between the French PROs and clear guidelines
concerning partnership research.
• By developing its own text (next to the one that was in preparation by the European
Commission), the Charter was more fitted to the Carnot context (some parts of the
European text that were deemed unsatisfactory for Research & Technology
organisations)
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10. Impact
• Quick adoption of the charter by 33 Carnot Institutes and their supervisory
organizations (representing all major PROs in France) proves the initial need
for a reference document.
• Industrials have expressed their support to the initiative during the
elaboration of the document.
• The implementation of the principles set out in the Charter will lead to
significant changes in the organization and functioning of the PROs in terms
of research traceability, awareness actions on technology transfer, evaluation
of the researchers’ career, licensing...
• Digiteo network has also adopted the charter
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11. Outcome
 What happened after the implementation:
• “mass effect” of the Carnot Institutes (13 000 researchers) + adoption of
shared guidelines on IP = credibility of the network
• Reference document that stresses the value of IP coming from public
research. Brings legitimacy to jurists and technology transfer officers during
negotiations with industrials: no more “sell off” of IP.
• Positive feedbacks from companies , which appreciate the shortening of the
negotiations and lower discrepancy between the habits of PROs.
• Increased awareness about the stakes of IP among the institute’s staff.
• Enhanced feeling of integration of the Carnot network
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12. Lessons Learned
• A small working group and one writer has proved to be an effective way
of working.
• Pragmatic approach during discussions about the text between the
institutions : emphasis on the common interest.
• Involve decisions-making people from the start, to ensure a quick
adoption later on.
• Include definitions as often as possible to ensure the common
understanding of the main terms.
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13. Suggested Readings
 Link to code book
Charter; Knowledge Transfer; Technology Transfer; Intellectual Property; Guideline;
Policy; Partnership; Industrial Research
 Link to relevant websites
 Website of the Carnot Institutes association : http://www.instituts-carnot.eu/en
See here for full text of the Charter (EN) http://www.instituts-carnot.eu/en/node/440
Commission Recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge
transfer activities And Code of Practice for universities and other public research
organisations C(2008)1329 http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_fr.pdf
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