Technology Transfer in a Public University

Technology transfer, as it will be used in this article, refers to the transformation of research information into marketable products and services. Although it occurs most frequently within a corporate context— within and among corporations—increasingly it occurs between university research groups and commercial entities. It is the latter context that is of concern here. The principal purpose of this discussion is to share some experience and a perspective on technology transfer. As we move further into the digital era, more products and services will be developed to assist and support users across all disciplines. Since the bulk of the experience with the transfer of information technologies has occurred within the sciences, more will have to be done to share that experience as faculty and researchers in the humanities and the arts become involved. Perhaps our experience in the Digital Library Initiative (DLI) will assist in that development.