Morna Paterson

Federal Labs: Where are we Headed?

By Morna Paterson

The Canadarm, the meningitis vaccine, the black box, canola, the heart pacemaker – these are only a few of the well known examples of the many technologies developed in federal laboratories that contribute to Canada’s wealth and quality of life. This successful performance of federal science-based departments and agencies (SBDA) and their partners has created awareness and increased demand to further strengthen technology collaborations and transfer from federal labs.

However, past successes and failures have shown that technology transfer is a difficult and complex process. Doing it properly takes commitment, resources, skills, proper management systems and a supportive framework of rules and legislation.

The federal government is approaching this task from a number of perspectives. The Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology (ACST) and the new Expert Panel on Commercialization, for example, are tackling the question of how to enhance private sector receptor commercialization capacity.

In the meantime, SBDAs are busy thinking about proposals for the Industry Canada Commercialization Pilot Fund. This is being set up to improve the commercialization of publicly funded research from universities, research hospitals and SBDAs.

Federal laboratories routinely collaborate with private sector and other public sector partners. To facilitate such collaboration, a broad range of technology transfer activities has been developed. The impact generated from this activity spans a wide range, including lending research and technical support to Canadian companies, developing environmental solutions, providing technologies for the introduction of new industrial processes and procedures, and facilitating the creation of new companies.

However, much more can be done to maximize opportunities to transform research into jobs and prosperity. Despite varying mandates, there are common issues affecting all labs, and a need to develop mechanisms to address both common and specific issues.

We know what our industry partners want from federal labs: consistency in IP management, “one-stop-shopping” for opportunities and expertise, early awareness and access to emerging technologies and faster turn-around time. They want us to “build the voice of the customer” into our research technology transfer activities, and “encourage market validation and proof of principle”. And so do we.

These notions are not new. They were among the gaps and barriers identified in the Federal Partners in Technology Transfer (FPTT) discussion papers prepared for the government’s Innovation Strategy in 2002 on the role of government in technology transfer and the need for a national technology transfer strategy.

Not all of the existing barriers or gaps will be met by the Commercialization Pilot Fund. Many require a change in legislation, regulations and policies and culture. Also, federal laboratories generally do not take their research to the marketplace themselves. It is their partners who put the knowledge to work.

It is also important to recognize that the impact of effective research management, R&D collaborations, and technology transfer is first determined by the quality and quantity of research conducted, and then by efficient collaboration and transfer mechanisms. Furthermore, the activities related to technology collaborations and transfer will need to be conducted in a way as to not impede other mandates. To be successful in the long-term, any new measures and initiatives must be perceived as supporting the SBDA’s mandates, rather than distracting from them.

FOCUS ON CAPACITY BUILDING

The main message about the type of proposals that FPTT members see as useful within the context of the Pilot is that they should focus on capacity building, not on the transfer and/or commercialization of single (one-off) technologies. This is particularly important because it will lead to more efficient use of the funds provided, as increased capacity to transfer knowledge and technologies can benefit a range of specific technologies.

The FPTT Executive Office has received a number of suggestions for proposals and, besides capacity and capability-building, they emphasize leveraging existing expertise and resources and working with our university colleagues. While certain proposal ideas clearly aim to improve access to marketing expertise and market intelligence, others primarily aim to improve the underlying infrastructure.

Although we will have to wait for Industry Canada to release the details of the program, including the specifics of which types of proposals will be funded, some of the ideas to improve technology transfer from federal labs include:

* Funding technology prospecting and improving access to market expertise and intelligence.

* Developing and supporting more training for public sector technology transfer and commercialization professionals.

* Introducing mechanisms to “take a technology to the next level”, i.e. to the point where the private sector can more easily commercialize it.

* Funding infrastructure projects that would increase capacity.

* Developing new technology transfer/ intellectual property management mechanisms.

* Creating fora such as Special Interest Groups, and mechanisms for collaboration with the risk capital community, private sector clients, and so on.

* Creating a national Technology Transfer and Commercialization Centre.

Managing intellectual property and technology transfer activities requires very specific skills and knowledge that also need to be updated regularly and build on insights from international best practices. Technology transfer experts within SBDAs feel that a centre or clearinghouse would foster an increased understanding of the process of technology transfer and commercialization in a Canadian context. Such a centre would allow technology transfer and commercialization professionals to develop leading-edge practices and maintain excellence in their technology transfer activities.

Finally, it must be remembered that the Commercialization Pilot is just that—a pilot. While some success stories will result, the primary objective is to build sustainable relationships between business and research institutions and pass on lessons learned.

Morna Paterson is executive director of the Federal Partners in Technology Transfer program.