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More academics involved in consultancy than traditional knowledge transfer via intellectual property

Computer model of a energy efficient turbocharger
According to the authors of a new study, more academics are involved in consultancy than IP knowledge transfer
15 Jul 2010 Academics at Italian and American universities have published research that reveals that almost two thirds of professors in America are involved in knowledge transfer by routes other than patents, such as consultancy.

The research, published in Research Policy, overturns the common perception that it is the more traditional route of patented inventions that enables knowledge transfer from universities to industry.

The authors surveyed over 11,500 American university professors to explore the differences in entrepreneurial activities inside and outside of the formal intellectual property system.

Their results highlight the importance of consultancy as a route for knowledge transfer, confirming what Imperial Consultants has always promoted.

For more information on the research, please see this Nature news article or read the paper (Fini, R et al, Inside or outside the IP system? Business creation in academia. Res. Policy. (2010)).

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