This document discusses the challenges of commercializing research results. It notes that research differs from product development in its timescales, funding justification, and flexibility. Research outputs may or may not work as intended and their economic viability is uncertain. Commercializing research involves addressing technical readiness, investment needs, ongoing support requirements, and intellectual property licensing issues. Stakeholders in the commercialization process, including the researcher, commercial entities, and users, have different motivations that must be balanced.

1. Commercialisation of Research Results –
The Challenges and Issues
FIAT/IFTA Workshop, 22-October-2014
The Presto4U project supported by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) — Grant Agreement 600845
Paul Walland
IT Innovation Centre

2. COMMERCIALISATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS
WHAT WORKS, AND WHAT DOESN’T WORK
 Research versus Product Development
 What’s the difference?
 How does academic research differ from industrial research?
• Timescales
• Funding and justification
• Responsiveness, flexibility and innovation
 Pros and Cons of Open versus Proprietary solutions
 SO …
 What characterises research?
 Who are the stakeholders?
 What is involved in commercialising research?
2 Presto4u - Technology for Digital Audiovisual Media Preservation: www.presto4u.eu / www.prestocentre.org

3. COMMERCIALISATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS
RESEARCH VERSUS PRODUCT
 Research is not yet available commercially
 Research standard output is proof of concept rather than rugged
and reliable (good algorithms, poor interfaces)
 A research result may or may not work, it may or may not do the
job, it may or may not be a viable economic proposition
 Research is targeted at the future, so it seeks to answer questions
that are only just emerging, expected to emerge or hypothesised
 Researchers are being clever, not commercial – they don’t think in
the same way as salesmen
 An applied research result may not be used in the way the original
researcher envisaged
3 Presto4u - Technology for Digital Audiovisual Media Preservation: www.presto4u.eu / www.prestocentre.org

4. COMMERCIALISATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS
WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS?
 Different stakeholders with different motivations:
 IPR owner / researcher
• Wants to see their results used!
• Financial return a bonus
 Commercial entity
• Needs to stay in business
• Has the cost of investment or needs investors
• Needs to provide ongoing support
 User
• Needs a reliable tool that does the job
• Needs support from the supplier
• Has a financial limit (as low as zero!)
• Wants to use the tool, not develop it
4 Presto4u - Technology for Digital Audiovisual Media Preservation: www.presto4u.eu / www.prestocentre.org

5. COMMERCIALISATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS
THE CHALLENGES OF CREATING A USABLE TOOL FROM RESEARCH
 Economic viability
 Technical readiness
 Investment needed to commercialise
 Ongoing support
 Longevity of product
 Licensing and IPR
5 Presto4u - Technology for Digital Audiovisual Media Preservation: www.presto4u.eu / www.prestocentre.org

6. COMMERCIALISATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS
RESEARCH OUTPUT TAKE-UP WORKFLOW
6 Presto4u - Technology for Digital Audiovisual Media Preservation: www.presto4u.eu / www.prestocentre.org