Author
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McGuire, Michael |
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Submitted to: Society for Invertebrate Pathology Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 7/21/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Recent editorials in the SIP Newsletter (Vol. 26, Nos. 1 and 2) have discussed the processes companies go through to protect confidential information when conducting cooperative work with public sector (e.g. University, Government) scientists. While many individuals conduct work that is not readily adaptable to use on a large scale, there are others whose work can be utilized by private companies. Interactions among scientists in industry and the public sector are essential if technology discovered by the public sector scientist is to have a chance at commercialization and subsequent wide-scale use. Many factors are involved in successful technology transfer and each participant looks at the elements in sometimes very different ways. For example, a scientist doing seemingly basic research may see technology transfer as an impediment to free information exchange via publication or disclosure through meeting presentations. Secrecy agreements, many times required by a company working with this scientist, inhibit this free exchange. On the other hand, without secrecy or patent protection, a company is unlikely to pursue commercialization of a technology, pathogen, or process for using the pathogen. Scale-up costs can be extensive, and without some form of protection, the technology could be used by competitors after the initial work is completed. The purpose of this symposium is to examine these differences and the mechanisms necessary to fulfill needs of each participant. |
