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IPR in Successful University
- Industry Collaborations
Cengiz A Tarhan
Managing Director
UCL Business PLC

O ve r v i e w
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UCL
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Enterprise at UCL – role of UCLB
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Why we collaborate
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Recent examples
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Summary

 Established over 180 years ago
 First university in England to
 admit students of any race, class or religion,
 welcome women on equal terms
 teach experimental science, modern European languages, Laws…
 Today – over 4000 researchers and
 Ranked 5th in the QS World University rankings for 2014 and 20th in the
Academic Ranking of World Universities - 2014 ( 3rd in Europe)
 Exceptional strength in BioMedicine

O ve r v i e w
“UCL ranked the leading institution in the UK as a partner for industry in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors”
May 2013

E nte r p r i s e at U C L i s e vo l v i n g

W hy we c o l l a b o rate w i t h I n d u st r y
 It makes sense
 Best universities and best companies do
 Symbiotic relationship – should be two way
 Helps achieve our mission to make IMPACT
But;
 Pick your partners well
 Protect your reputation
 Remain flexible on terms
 Document the arrangement
 Manage the relationship

E x a m p l e s o f c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h I n d u s t r y a t U C L
 Direct
 Studentships – beware of IP leakage
 Consultancy – IP rights defined within agreement
 Contract research – usually IP vested in company
 Collaborative research – complex IP negotiation
 Strategic partnerships – multiple programs
 Indirect
 Through UCL’s spin out companies
 Through our partner hospitals

W h e n I P i s I nvo l ve d
 Overvaluing IP
 Undervaluing IP
 Warranties and indemnities
 Access to Background IP
 Licensing versus assigning
 Ownership of Arising/Foreground IP
 Money – costs/upfront/milestones/royalties
 Termination – what happens to IP
 And more!

Recent examples of collaborative research at UCL
 Eisai – drug discovery alliance
 Pfizer – collaboration on stem cell- based technology
 Novozymes BioPharma – combining technology platforms
 Cell Therapy Catapult – treatment for leukaemia
 Novo Nordisk – mapping diabetes
 Takeda – tackling muscle disorders and muscular dystrophy

U n l o c k i n g the potential of C a r b o n N a n o t u b e s
Most high tech displays and touchscreens are made of transparent conductive film which requires Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)
 Costs of processing ITO are high and screens tend to be brittle – not suitable for flexible displays.
 Collaboration with Linde is based on developing a solution to use
Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCN) as an alternative.

U n l o c k i n g the potential of C a r b o n N a n o t u b e s
 Researchers at UCL identified a way of purifying the SWCN’s to make them useful for new generation flexible screens.

U n l o c k i n g the potential of C a r b o n N a n o t u b e s
 Patent protection secured
 Licence to Linde Group in 2011
 Linde Nanomaterials formed in 2012 with manufacturing facility in San Marcos, California
 SEER eInk launched in 2013
 Potential highlighted in Touch Display Research Inc., ITOreplacement report, May 2014) estimating non ITOtransparent conducting films market is likely to be worth
$8.1billion by 2021

S u m m a r y
 UCL is committed to Enterprise to deliver IMPACT
 Engagement with Industry is crucial
 IPR plays an important role
 It’s a relationship with ‘ups and downs’
 Successful relationship needs to be ‘managed’