The technology transfer process
Funding from sources such as industry and the federal government enables faculty at academic institutions to pursue and develop innovative research. (For more information on R&D funding, see previous Index issues on R&D expenditures at Illinois universities and industry funding for academic R&D.) To achieve commercialization of this research, a nascent technology must pass through three “gates”—invention disclosures, patenting, and licensing. Each of these gates serves to eliminate less commercially viable products, so the technologies that reach the licensing phase typically have direct applicability to businesses and industry. The length of time this process can take varies, but it is not uncommon for it to be several years.
To read the original article: Illinois Technology Transfer
