MEDIA RELEASE

(embargoed until 9.00 a.m. AEDT 26 March, 2003)

RELEASE OF TWO REPORTS –
UNIVERSITY COMMERCIALISATION
& INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PERFORMANCE

26 March 2003 MIN 313/03

Two new reports released today show universities’ commercialisation processes and intellectual property management are improving but some universities perform much better than others.

The reports, Best Practice Processes for University Research Commercialisation and Analysis of the Legal Framework for Patent Ownership in Publicly Funded Research Institutions, were funded by the Department of Education, Science and Training.

Australian universities currently obtain only 0.2% of their revenues from royalties, trademarks and licences. It has been one of the intentions of the year-long Review of Higher Education to examine ways to make it easier for universities to commercialise research.

The two reports examined university commercialisation processes and legislation for protection of intellectual property in universities and other publicly-funded research bodies.

The report Best Practice Processes for University Research Commercialisation reveals demand for ‘spin-offs’ and commercial activity was widespread and growing in the Australian higher education sector.

Across the 29 Australian universities surveyed in 2000, 38 commercial start-ups were recorded – up 40% from the previous year. (The spin-off generation rate from two universities in particular – the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney – is approaching international best performance.)

The research, however, also showed that the performance of universities in successfully converting innovation into commercial applications was varied.

The report Best Practice Processes for University Research Commercialisation says:

The Review of Higher Education identified anachronistic governance arrangements of universities – some of which have Councils of up to 35 people - as a major impediment to the future prosperity of Australia’s universities. The Best Practice Processes for University Research Commercialisation report says current governance arrangements also hinder success in commercialisation in universities.

In addition the Best Practice Processes for University Research Commercialisation report found:

• That smaller and regional universities in particular should network to improve research commercialisation expertise, and
• In best-case scenarios internationally, research commercialisation from universities can generate as much as 3-5% of a university’s research revenue.

The Analysis of the Legal Framework for Patent Ownership in Publicly Funded Research Institutions report found:

• That no legislative change was needed to deal with ownership of intellectual property;
• The right to ownership of patents should include responsibility for the effective identification and commercialisation of any inventions; and
• Research institutions are best placed to identify potential valuable patents and positioned to pursue commercialisations of such inventions.

Through investment in Higher Education we turn money into knowledge. We should not be reluctant to also turn knowledge back into money.

Best Practice Processes for University Research Commercialisation is available at:
http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/respubs/best_practice/exec_summary.htm

Analysis of the Legal Framework for Patent Ownership in Publicly Funded Research Institutions is available at:
http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/respubs/legal_framework/exec_summary.htm

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