10 recommendations adopted to ensure best practice in our Higher Level Institutions
The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton T.D, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys T.D., the Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research & Development John Halligan T.D. and the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D. today announced the publication of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) Review of Intellectual Property Management and Conflicts of Interest, which provides a framework for the strengthening of IP policies and procedures in higher education institutions.
We want our education system to be the best in Europe by 2026. Knowledge transfer, including commercialisation, is a key mission of our higher education institutions and is important to delivering on this ambition. In Ireland, the ecosystem to support commercialisation of HEI intellectual property (IP) has been evolving rapidly, driven by the desire to increase the impact of research and to bring benefits in terms of jobs and investment to Ireland and its regions.
As a country, we have taken a pro-active approach to encouraging and supporting entrepreneurial activity and sharing good practice across the HEI sector - initiatives such as the Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative, the introduction of a national research commercialisation policy and IP Protocol, and the establishment of KTI. These initiatives have not alone made a step change to commercialisation but have also provided more clarity around the process of commercialising IP.
Our HEIs have policies in place for Intellectual Property management, and have technology transfer staff and other dedicated professionals to carry out these day-to-day activities. The development and implementation of institutional policies is an ongoing process of evolution. The recommendations from this Review will further develop consistency of approach across the sector.
Ten recommendations have been identified, and these cover two broad headings – Guidance (preparation and provision of enhanced practical guidance by KTI to the HEIs) and Governance (implementation of strengthened HEI governance measures and monitoring by the HEA). The Government have agreed to adopt all recommendations in the Review.
The recommendations cover such areas as:
- Single IP policy - every higher education institution should have a single IP policy
- Consistency in IP policies across the sector
- Clear decision-making and dispute resolution processes
- Common principles underpinning spin-out formation
- Awareness of potential conflicts of interest within IP commercialisation
Welcoming the Review, Minister Bruton stated that
“The recommendations from the Review are particularly timely given the increasing engagement of Ireland’s higher education systems with enterprise, which we want to continually encourage, for the benefit of our society and our economy”.
Minister Humphreys said,
“The Government is committed to cultivating a system and infrastructure in this country where research and innovation can excel. I am pleased to see that our higher education institutes have come a long way in a short time and welcome approaches to further strengthen their commercialisation performance. HEIs have a key role to play in supporting the ambitions in Innovation 2020 – the Government’s strategy for research and development, science and technology”
Minister Mitchell O’Connor stated that
“The recommendations outlined in the Review will serve to strengthen the policies and procedures in our institutions and will improve good practice. Our aim is not to stifle commercialisation activity, but to ensure that it is managed in an open, transparent and professional way”.
Minister Halligan said,
“One of the key objectives of my Department is supporting more companies to engage in research and innovation activities –turning good ideas into innovative products and services and ultimately jobs. I welcome this review and its recommendations, which will serve to bring enhanced practical guidance to the commercialisation of intellectual property in our higher education institutes”.
A KTI-HEA Stakeholder Working Group is being formed, which will include representatives from the two Government Departments and the higher education sector, to oversee implementation of these recommendations. KTI is a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Universities Association (IUA). KTI’s knowledge transfer activities are funded through the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.