Executive Summary

As part of Backing Australia's Ability - Building our Future through Science and Innovation the Australian Government announced the creation of the Commercialisation Training Scheme (CTS). The CTS will provide around 250 awards each year for higher degree research [1]  (HDR) students to study for the equivalent of one semester to obtain a graduate qualification in fields such as commercialisation of research or management of intellectual property.

While Australia has performed admirably in research and development activities, commercialisation outcomes continue to under deliver on their potential. Research organisations, industry and other stakeholders have often cited a lack of relevant skills training for Australian researchers as a barrier to maximising the commercialisation of research-based products and services. The objective of the CTS is to address this skills deficit and, by doing so:

• enable Australia’s next generation of researchers to better understand the commercial potential of research and better plan research activities in order to achieve commercial benefit;
• enhance the career outcomes of HDR students;
• provide a more highly skilled and valued research workforce for employers; and
• generate flow-on benefits to the broader Australian community through the enhanced delivery of innovative research-based products and services.

While there has been general acknowledgement that researchers would benefit from additional commercialisation skills, there has been little detailed examination of the research commercialisation skills, knowledge and experience most valued by those involved in research commercialisation in Australia.  The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) sought to address this lack of research by engaging the Australian Institute for Commercialisation to undertake a study designed to:

• identify the research commercialisation skills, knowledge and experiences that would best equip Australia's next generation of researchers with the know-how to bring research-based ideas, inventions and innovations to market;
• document the current research commercialisation-related offerings provided by higher education providers; and
• recommend a CTS training framework that would ensure the intended outcomes of the CTS are met and allow for training to commence under the CTS from the beginning of the 2007 academic year.

This research was undertaken in the context of the necessarily varied and complex mix of skills required at different points on the Research, Development and Commercialisation continuum as well as the possible impact of the different types and sizes of organisation where research is undertaken.  The analysis and recommendations in this report incorporated feedback made to DEST as a result of the publication of Commercialisation Training Scheme – Issues Paper; January 2006. This feedback indicated a strong preference for flexibility in the design and delivery of courses and for courses to be undertaken part-time and concurrent with the HDR.

The CTS must be implemented in a way that provides the most appropriate knowledge and skills to HDR students; appropriate in the sense of subject area, depth and balance of course content; and appropriate in terms of the mode of delivery. This study was therefore performed with the goal of developing a course framework.

The proposed content that should be covered within the CTS curriculum includes a balance of learning in three knowledge areas as depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Three Knowledge Areas for the CTS

Note that technical skills in this context relate to those supporting commercial activities, such as project management, intellectual property (IP) management, market research and budgeting. Highly sought organisational behaviour skills included team working, leadership and communication (written and oral) in the business environment.

Furthermore, courses must be flexible in delivery, be designed to meet individual student needs, include a significant practical component and be able to demonstrate the explicit involvement of industry in design and implementation (industry in this case is defined to include both private sector commercial companies and public sector research organisations).

Following an analysis of currently provided courses relating to these subject areas, it was determined that the university sector is well placed to deliver on the requirements of the CTS. There is care required, however, in ensuring the qualifying courses include explicit involvement of industry and demonstrated practical experience in commercialisation activities. For example, theoretical course knowledge can be imparted in a number of ways: through lectures, tutorials, on-line, and computer-based training. The survey showed that this in itself would be insufficient, because the strong view of industry was that practical and hands-on learning of subject matter was required.

The small sample size places limitations on the analysis of the data. Within the constraints of the project it was possible to interview thirty respondents from the demand side of the HDR graduate market. This cohort included managers from all sectors studied: industry, research organisations, higher education providers and venture capital companies. Some analysis was possible in comparing responses by sector, although the sample sizes were too small in some cases for detailed comparisons. As a whole, however, the numeric ratings of the perceived skills needs were an informative data set and particularly so when cross-referenced with the qualitative answers to the other questions. Overall, there were no significant statistical differences between the various sectors.

The analysis of the ‘supply side’ of the HDR market was similarly limited to a sample of potential university courses that could meet the requirements expressed in the surveys. The intention of this element of the study was to determine the likelihood of the university sector being able to deliver appropriate courses from the beginning of the 2007 academic year. The courses chosen were a representative group covering topics similar to those rated highly in the perceived skills needs data. Moreover, the cross-referencing of subjects against the CTS required skills was done in consultation with staff from the selected universities. This raises the possibility of “false positive” results as course co-ordinators are likely to err on the side of including topics within subject curriculum when doubt arises.

A bias is inherent in the survey data in that the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) are inadequately represented. The CTS is a programme available to students from all faculties and the lack of input from a HASS perspective is merely a reflection of the time allocated in executing the survey. However, the CTS framework arrived at is considered equally applicable to the HASS.

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