Universities are still the main engines that drive scientific and technological progress, and any time a novel technology or technique is developed at a university, inventors and their institutions have the unique opportunity to commercialize their innovation with the protection of intellectual property (IP) laws. These protections are vital to helping bring research innovations to market and safeguarding investments. This article explores the crucial yet delicate process of commercializing university research, particularly in some of the major research-producing countries in Asia.

See also: How Universities Can Develop a Patenting Culture

Commercializing research allows any institution to translate its groundbreaking ideas into tangible products or services. When we think of commercialization of research, we typically think of private commercial research institutions affiliated with major corporations such as laboratories researching new consumer electronics or medicines. However, universities are also major players in research commercialization, with many institutions now setting up start-up incubators or commercial campuses for entrepreneurially minded researchers. Since many universities are struggling with lower budgets from national or regional governments, research commercialization can be too valuable to pass up

However, without robust IP protection, these innovations will become vulnerable. Once the knowhow for a novel technology is published, it can easily be copied, hindering returns on investment for universities and their partners. This not only harms their bottom line, but could perhaps even remove a major incentive for companies to invest in university research, thereby negatively affecting research outputs. In contrast, strong IP safeguards, such as patents, copyrights, and trademarks, can act like a shield for research investment, allowing universities to:

• Negotiate licensing deals: Universities can license their inventions to established companies, generating revenue to support further research and development.
• Form spin-off companies: Promising innovations can be nurtured into independent companies, creating jobs and fostering technological advancement.
• Attract Investment: Patent protection attracts investors who want to see the potential for high returns.

Commercializing university research has clear benefits, but it also brings challenges. First, striking a balance between sharing knowledge and protecting commercially viable ideas can be tricky. After all, open science is important, but you do not want to share too much before applying for a patent!

Next, identifying marketable research is difficult. The average university has hundreds of research projects active at any given time, but not all of that research translates well to the market. Universities need robust systems to identify inventions with commercial potential.

Finally, IP is of course complex and requires IP holders to navigate complicated legal frameworks and time-consuming approval processes, which can be complex and time-consuming. Not every patent is guaranteed to be a commercial hit, so focusing efforts on technologies with the most commercial viability is a good measure to prevent resources from being wasted.

See also: Best Practices for Managing and Maintaining a University’s Patent Portfolio

Universities can address these challenges by:

• Establishing disclosure policies: Universities should have clear guidelines to ensure researchers disclose inventions with commercial potential, enabling the university to pursue IP protection and provide guidance. Tools such as non-disclosure agreements to ensure that collaborators understand their responsibilities with any shared data.
• Building IP awareness: Educating researchers on IP protection can help foster a culture of innovation with commercialization in mind, thereby helping researchers consider the potential commercial avenues of their work.
• Leveraging technology transfer offices (TTOs): TTOs play a critical role. Their expertise in IP law and technology transfer can help researchers identify commercially viable inventions, secure patents and other forms of IP protection, and find suitable industry partners for licensing or spin-off companies. Encouraging reporting and dialog between the TTO and research coordinators, can in turn help the TTO to better understand potential commercial applications.

Universities across Asia have been demonstrating the power of effective commercialization. While success stories are too numerous to name exhaustively, some institutions that have impressively navigated research commercialization include:

India— Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)

IITM is one of India’s most influential universities for technology. In recent years, has gone from strength to strength in terms of its patents granted, with a staggering 435 patents granted for the year of 2023−2024. Their succeses can be counted not only in the number of patents, but also by the number of new enterprises realized through the IITM Incubation Cell. One example is Cygni Energy, which has successfully commercialized an inverterless solar-DC power storage system based on technology developed at IITM, making it a great case study of research commercialization in India and an example of commercialized research that can benefit humanity..

Japan—Keio University

Keio University is one of Japan’s most prestigious private research universities. It conducts research across almost all disciplines, including in the molecular biosciences. In the early 2000s, Prof. Tomoyoshi Soga and his team developed a novel method for separation and analysis of anionic compounds, enabling high-speed analysis of the metabolome. In 2003, their technology was spun off into Human Metabolome Technologies, Inc. (HMT). HMT is now a commercially successful company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, making it an excellent example of a lab technology under patent protection entering the market and becoming a successful long-term venture.

South Korea—POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology)

Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in our lives, and the commercial implications of improved battery technologies are obvious, particularly given that electric vehicles are becoming more commonplace. POSTECH is home to the lab of Prof. Soojin Park, which has been developing novel materials for use in new high-efficiency lithium-ion and next-generation batteries. POSTECH’s research is deeply entwined with the operations of POSCO Holdings, with POSCO Holdings harnessing their research insights to corner new market in high-performance rechargeable batteries. This partnership has paid dividends, with POSCO Holdings bringing new battery materials to market and the university profiting greatly from the improved share prices of POSCO affiliates.

Universities conduct groundbreaking basic research and applied studies to convert their insights to real-world applications. By prioritizing IP protection and leveraging TTO expertise, universities can effectively translate knowledge into tangible benefits for society and bring in greater investments to realize further successes.