Technology transfer refers to a process by which scientific knowledge and technologies are moved between two or more organizations including industry, universities, and other institutions. University of Nebraska technology transfer implies that the technology was developed by researchers at the University of Nebraska and is being exchanged with partner organizations that can further develop the early-stage invention. The main objective of technology transfer is the commercialization of biomedical research to ensure that the innovative ideas and technologies are developed and marketed into products for public use.
At the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), researchers constantly develop new and innovative ideas and technologies to improve health care around the world. As soon as inventions are conceived, they are disclosed to UNMC’s technology transfer office, UNeMed, who has over 10 years of experience offering technology transfer services and has established numerous business relationships with commercial partners. UNeMed carries out a thorough evaluation of the intellectual property position and potential market of the new technology. When an invention receives a positive evaluation, the University of Nebraska technology transfer process begins as the technology is commercialized through a license agreement, which grants the University technology rights to a third party for a specified period of time. This third party may be an established company or a new start-up, which will help transform the scientific knowledge into market-ready products or services.
University of Nebraska technology transfer licensing agreements benefit both the university and the business partner. Licenses include terms that often require the licensee to make financial payments to the University. These medical patent licensing fees and royalty payments provide support for additional research and education at the university. In addition to the financial rewards, the university achieves recognition because their scientific research may lead to a commercial product that improves global health care. Business organizations, on the other hand use the technology to develop products and services that will earn profits from sales on the marketplace. Through technology transfer licensing, businesses can skip the discovery stage of a technology and focus on further development and commercialization of the product. As a consequence, it is more cost effective to license the necessary technology as companies reduce their research expense costs while saving on production time.
Technology transfer from universities to the commercial sector allows the research community an opportunity to have a positive impact on the health care marketplace. This event leads to an improvement of health care as new discoveries from the laboratory move to the marketplace. Biotechnology licensing generates new products and services, such as therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, biomedical research tools, and medical software, which improve our quality of life. Additionally, University of Nebraska technology transfer has made a significant contribution to the economic development in the state of Nebraska and worldwide by opening businesses, creating industries and opening new markets. Therefore, the general public can benefit from the positive economic impact and remarkable new medical advances that are made possible thanks to university-industry collaborations.
