Commercializing University Research in Diverse Settings: Moving Beyond Standardized Intellectual Property Management

OVERVIEW: We discuss the challenges of managing university intellectual property (IP) for applications in diverse settings that are often inadequately served by standard IP management approaches. Strategies focused on profit appropriation through legal mechanisms and control of key resources may work in some industrial settings, but may hinder innovation in others, leaving promising technologies untapped. Open innovation has been proposed as a solution, yet limited research has been conducted in broader contexts. We present four examples illustrating the challenges for university technology transfer offices (TTOs) attempting to commercialize technologies for diverse applications in unique circumstances—when government regulators are the primary users and when applications involve a number of industries with varying motivations and resources for technology adoption. More open approaches to IP management, coupled with value propositions emphasizing cognitive and sociopolitical legitimacy, can lead to more effective diffusion.