University of Manchester IP: walk the line

28-11-2014

University of Manchester IP: walk the line

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By facilitating public access to the work being done, universities face the challenge of maintaining a balance between being transparent and commercialising IP. LSIPR spoke to the head of the University of Manchester IP about walking the fine line.

When it comes to developing and marketing drugs, it is fair to say universities are in a precarious position. Unlike pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities are responsible to research councils and their taxpayer masters to be open about their research.

This can put a strain on protecting research with IP. By having to facilitate public access to the work being done, universities face the challenge of maintaining a balance between transparency and IP protection.

But things have moved beyond basic government demands that research be published and put in the public domain. Now, says Dr Rich Ferrie, head of the University of Manchester IP (UMIP), “research councils that are funding this research want to see that translated into some societal benefit”.


UMIP; tech transfer; pharmaceuticals; C4X

LSIPR