Information transfer in the agricultural sector in Spain

This paper examines the structures of information transfer to the agricultural (production) and agro-alimentary (transformation and commercialization of the products) sector within Spain. A historical perspective is provided to better illustrate the reality and complexity of Spain with regard to the systems of agrarian extension, agricultural research, resources provided by Spain’s central administration, and the use of information by related enterprises. The Service of Agrarian Extension appeared in Spain in the 1950s, and new political-administrative structures (agribusiness associations, cooperatives) were founded when Spain became a democratic nation in the late 1970s, and with the arrival of electronic information, largely in the 1990s. We also describe the tools supporting innovation in the agro-alimentary sector: centers of agrarian research and technological centers. Finally, reference is made to the means of communication dedicated to the agricultural sector. The paper illustrates that the systems of agricultural information in Spain have been largely derived from initiatives of the Public Administration, with few private initiatives

A Survey of the Barriers Associated with Academic-based Cancer Research Commercialization

Commercialization within the academic setting is associated with many challenges and barriers. Previous studies investigating these challenges/barriers have, in general, broadly focused on multiple disciplines and, oftentimes, several institutions simultaneously. The goal of the study presented here was to analyze a range of barriers that may be broadly associated with commercializing academic-based cancer research. This goal was addressed via a study of the barriers associated with cancer research commercialization at the University of Kentucky (UK). To this end, a research instrument in the form of an electronic survey was developed. General demographic information was collected on study participants and two research questions were addressed: 1) What are the general barriers inhibiting cancer research commercialization at UK? and 2) Would mitigation of the barriers potentially enhance faculty engagement in commercialization activities? Descriptive and statistical analysis of the data reveal that multiple barriers likely inhibit cancer research commercialization at UK with expense, time, infrastructure, and lack of industry partnerships being among the most commonly cited factors. The potential alleviation of these factors in addition to revised University policies/procedures, risk mitigation, more emphasis on commercialization by academia research field, and increased information on how to commercialize significantly correlated with the potential for increased commercialization activity. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression modeling demonstrated that research commercialization would incrementally increase as barriers to the process are removed and that PhD-holding respondents and respondents in commercialization-supportive research fields would be more likely to commercialize their research upon barrier removal. Overall, as with other disciplines, these data suggest that for innovations derived from academic cancer-research to move more effectively and efficiently into the marketplace, university administrators and external agents, such as policymakers, need to address what are well-documented and defined issues

Pharmaceutical M&A Activity: Effects on Prices, Innovation, and Competition

The rise of blockbuster pharmaceutical acquisitions has prompted fears that unprecedented market concentration will weaken competition. Two of the most prominent concerns focus on the upstream and downstream ends of the pharmaceutical industry: (1) the concern that these mergers will concentrate the market for discovery and will therefore lead to fewer discoveries; and (2) the concern that merging large marketing, sales, and distribution forces will strengthen the hands of select pharmaceutical manufacturers and weaken downstream competition. Having considered potential dynamic effects in the industry and conducted a series of preliminary interviews with knowledgeable observers, though, this Article argues that neither of these common fears is systematically warranted. There are, however, potential dangers in market concentration at an intermediate stage during the discovery-to-development path: the stage for regulatory approval. These preliminary findings are a product of dramatic changes that are currently reshaping the structure of the pharmaceutical industry. This Article discusses how these structural changes contribute to the current merger wave, how dynamic responses by industry players in response to the merger wave mitigate the potential harm from competition, and how the political arena might still offer threats to market concentration

Intellectual Property Challenges in Replicating an American Graduate Program in Poland Experiences, Perspectives, and Lessons Learned

The article delineates some of the challenges in implementing of one of the global trends among universities - increased cooperation and collaboration to create and transfer intellectual property. Universities all over the world are increasing cooperation and collaboration in different fields. In addition to the traditional student and faculty exchanges, more and more universities are exploring deeper collaborations ranging from replication of degree programs to creation of dual degree programs. The article presents a case study of an extended collaboration to replicate a program founded by the University of Texas at Austin at the University of Lodz in Lodz, Poland. The transferred program is the year long executive MS in Science and Technology Commercialization (MSSTC) Program which focuses on wealth creation associated with intellectual property by transforming ideas based on science and technology into new products, new services, and new ventures to create jobs. The MSSTC program was transferred successfully from the University of Texas at Austin to the University of Lodz in Poland. However, one of the most significant challenges associated with the program replication across countries and cultures is how to best address a program’s intellectual property issues. This paper examines some of the intellectual property issues involved in transferring the MSSTC program like from a US to a Polish university. Some of the lessons learned re: intellectual property are delineated, examined, explored, and recommendations offered.Globalne trendy i międzynarodowy charakter komercjalizacji technologii sprawia, że pojawiły się globalne trendy do zacieśnienia współpracy pomiędzy uczelniami. Uniwersytety Trzeciego wieku oprócz misji edukacyjnej i naukowej włączają się w nurt przedsiębiorczości nazwanej akademickiej, współpracy z przemysłem i instytucjami rządowymi. Artykuł zwraca uwagę na istotną rolę transferu własności intelektualnej zawartej w programach edukacyjnych, szkoleniowych wymiany kadry i studentów. Współpraca rodzi wartość dodaną jako uzyskują uczelnie w postaci wspólnych programów lub transferu wiedzy z jednej uczelni do drugiej. Prezentowany artykuł zawiera również studium przypadku oparte na współpracy dwóch uczelni amerykańskiej i polskiej oraz transferze programu magisterskiego Komercjalizacji Nauki i Technologii z Austin do Łodzi. Udostępnienie wiedzy i najlepszych praktyk Instytutu IC2 w Austin obejmowało wyzwania związane z prawidłowym transferem własności intelektualnej wielu podmiotów jak wykładowców, uczelni, instytutu, doradców oraz innych osób pracujących przez wiele lat przy tworzeniu najlepszego w USA programu magisterskiego do zarządzania technologią. Autorzy zebrali najbardziej istotne problemy występujące podczas ich pracy w programie i przedstawili je w rozdziale Intellectual Property Challenges in Replicating an American Graduate Program in Poland Experiences, Perspectives, and Lessons Learned AbstractDruk materiałów sfinansowano ze środków Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego w ramach projektu „Kreator innowacyjności – wsparcie innowacyjnej przedsiębiorczości akademickiej”

New Hampshire University Research and Industry Plan: A Roadmap for Collaboration and Innovation

This University Research and Industry plan for New Hampshire is focused on accelerating innovation-led development in the state by partnering academia’s strengths with the state’s substantial base of existing and emerging advanced industries. These advanced industries are defined by their deep investment and connections to research and development and the high-quality jobs they generate across production, new product development and administrative positions involving skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

The course of lectures on discipline “Intellectual property” (for the 5 year students of the specialty 8.03060101 “Management”)

Затверджено на засіданні кафедри менеджменту інноваційної діяльності та підприємнцтва. Протокол No 1 від 27 серпня 2015 р. Рекомендовано методичною комісією факультету управління і бізнесу у виробництві ТНТУ імені Івана Пулюя. Протокол No 6 від 26 лютого 2016 р.У методичних вказівках, у відповідності до робочої програми, сформовано лекційний матеріал з дисципліни “Інтелектуальна власність” для іноземних студентів спеціальності 8.03060101 “Менеджмент організацій та адміністрування”.Методичні вказівки призначені для допомоги іноземним студентам при вивченні курсу “Інтелектуальна власність”. У методичних вказівках містяться загальні теоретичні відомості, необхідні до вивчення даного курсу. Рекомендовано для іноземних студентів спеціальності 8.03060101 “Менеджмент організацій та адміністрування” з метою закріплення, поглиблення і узагальнення знань, одержаних студентами за час навчання та їх застосування до комплексного вирішення конкретного фахового завдання із дисципліни “Інтелектуальна власність”. Складено з урахуванням робочої програми вивчення курсу, методичних розробок інших вузів, а також матеріалів літературних джерел, наведених у рекомендованій літературі

The Role of Social and Institutional Contexts in Social Innovations of Spanish Academic Spinoffs

Social innovations developed by academic spinoffs (ASOs) are acquiring an ever-increasing relevance in the literature on academic entrepreneurship. Previous studies have considered the importance of the social and institutional contexts of entrepreneurial ecosystems for the development of these innovations, although a greater depth of analysis is required in this field of study. This research analyzes the influence of the frequency of contact with agents of social and institutional contexts of the entrepreneurial ecosystem on the social innovations of ASOs. From a sample of 173 Spanish ASOs, the results indicate that frequent contact with government and academic support units improves this type of innovation of ASOs. Regarding social context, an increase in the frequency of contact with customers, suppliers, and competitors favors the development of social innovation. However, frequent contact with venture capital firms inhibits the development of this type of innovation

Commercialisation of research results – cooperation between science and business

When analysing the term commercialisation one should answer the crucial question: what mechanisms govern commercialisation of knowledge and technology as well as which resources and sources determine it. The article presents a theoretical deliberation concerning the development of issues related to the commercialisation of research results in the last century. A review of literature precedes the section on sources for the commercialisation of knowledge and technologies when considering research results and technology providers. The author claims that analysis of technological resources also determines the possibilities for the cooperation between science and business. It is important for the selection of the commercialisation strategy to describe technological resources and their complementarity. Strong technological resources and their market availability ensures independent technological development. However, a lack of technological resources or the chance to acquire them encourages an innovative organisation to pass know-how or technologies to another, capable organisation which is willing to commercialise this knowledge on the market. Frequently however when commercialising research results, organisations establish cooperation on the market in order to build resources to implement research results. This article, ‘Commercialisation of research results – cooperation between science and business’, is concluded with an example depicting the cooperation between scientists and business people in a new spin-off company set up in order to build technological resources and the market implementation of a device for measuring the structure of soft material surfaces.Article has been prepared based on Polish National Scientific Agency project - DEC-2011/01/B/HS4/05200. (Powstanie artykuł zostało sfinansowane ze środków Narodowego Centrum Nauki przyznanych na podstawie decyzji numer DEC-2011/01/B/HS4/05200”) Preparation and printing funded by the National Agency for Research and Development under project “Kreator Innowacyjności – wparcie dla Przedsiębiorczości akademickiej

Commercializing Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Technologies: The Government's Role

Alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies can reduce air pollution and protect public health, while also improving national security by reducing U.S. dependency on petroleum. Currently, transportation accounts for over two-thirds of all petroleum used in this country. While still maturing, many alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies are now practical. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association hosted a briefing in which panelists shared experiences with their use of hybrid technologies and compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel and clean diesel fuels. The panelists concluded that the remaining challenges in establishing the widespread use and availability of these technologies are not technical, but rather are economic in nature. Federal, state and local governments can play a large role in overcoming this economic barrier by encouraging wide-scale adoption of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in government fleets. This would provide the market demand necessary to jumpstart these technologies by giving manufacturers the incentive to increase investment and hasten the achievement of economies of scale

Entrepreneurial innovations and taxation

In many countries entrepreneurship is promoted through tax reductions for small businesses and by various government support schemes. We analyze the effects of such policies to subsidize small businesses in a setting where both the risk-return characteristics of the selected innovation project and the mode of commercialization chosen by entrepreneurs (market entry versus sale to an incumbent firm) are endogenous. We show that government programs to support small businesses foster market entry by entrepreneurs but, at the same time, give an incentive to choose low risk projects, due to the existence of limited loss o®set provisions. This points to a basic trade-off be- tween the goals of raising competition in technology-intensive markets and the desire of governments to foster risky `breakthrough' innovations