Despite these obstacles, NITs have made notable progress in intellectual property protection. Of the 3,086 invention disclosures submitted by researchers in 2023, 85.1% resulted in patent filings, software registrations, plant variety protections, or similar outcomes.<\/p>\n
Ana Torkomian, a professor of production engineering at the Federal University of S\u00e3o Carlos (UFSCar) and vice president of FORTEC, who led the survey, explains that less mature NITs are more likely to focus efforts on intellectual property protection. This is largely because, before the passage of Brazil’s Innovation Act, academia lacked a robust culture of protecting inventions, leaving NITs to lay the groundwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cComparing centers with active licensing agreements in 2023 to those without them reveals that the former have typically been in operation for an average of 16.7 years, compared to 12 years for the latter. More mature centers are more likely to have shifted their focus to technology transfer,\u201d Torkomian observes. NITs with active contracts were also found to employ three times more full-time staff on average (15.6 versus 5.7) and maintained over twice as many active intellectual property protections. \u201cIf we want stronger NITs, we need time for learning and capacity building, and our research needs to generate an attractive intellectual property portfolio,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n
As NITs grow more established, targeted strategies can help accelerate knowledge transfer to the market. These include identifying and reaching out to companies potentially interested in specific technologies or in research capabilities for collaborative development. A qualitative study conducted in Brazil\u2019s South and Southeast regions explored these strategies by visiting and interviewing NIT managers. The research, carried out by a team of scientists from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), was published in the February 2024 issue of Innovation & Management Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a catalog of available technologies on a website is just the starting point. You also need to prospect for companies that might value a particular invention or research expertise, develop a strong marketing plan, and be responsive to market needs,\u201d explains Karin Goebel, a pharmaceutical engineer and the lead author of the paper.<\/p>\n These were some of the findings from Goebel\u2019s doctoral research between 2019 and 2021, which she recently defended in 2024 at FIOCRUZ-Paran\u00e1, where she works as an innovation management analyst. The study found that institutions with proactive technology licensing strategies consistently outperformed others, achieving higher numbers of contracts and greater revenue. Among the most successful institutions are the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP), and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). Conversely, institutions with less successful approaches included the Federal University of Paran\u00e1 (UFPR), the Federal Technological University of Paran\u00e1 (UTFPR), and FIOCRUZ-Paran\u00e1.<\/p>\n At the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), one approach taken has been to establish collaborative agreements where companies codevelop technologies with the university and then secure preemptive and exclusive licensing rights to monetize the resulting innovations. \u201cThese agreements enable direct technology transfer and significantly shorten time to market,\u201d explains Fl\u00e1via Oliveira do Prado Vicentin of USP\u2019s Innovation Agency, who manages technology transfer strategies for the Ribeir\u00e3o Preto and Bauru campuses in S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\n A notable success from this model is a cannabidiol-based pharmaceutical product developed through a collaboration between the Ribeir\u00e3o Preto Medical School and pharmaceutical company Prati-Donaduzzi. The product was launched in pharmacies across Brazil in May 2020 and is available by medical prescription for conditions such as epilepsy and psychiatric disorders.<\/p>\n At the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), patents are used as a gateway to showcase researchers\u2019 expertise to the market. \u201cWe present the technology to a company, and even if they don\u2019t express interest in that specific invention, we use the opportunity to explore the company\u2019s needs,\u201d says Frank Gomes, who heads the strategic alliances team at UFMG\u2019s Technology Transfer and Innovation Office (CTIT). When an innovation has potential public appeal, UFMG\u2019s press office steps in to advertise it through media outlets. For instance, a low-cost device designed to reduce airborne microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, and fungi was featured in a news story on Rede Globo\u2019s G1 portal. \u201cSince it was during the pandemic in 2021, the news gained significant traction. A company saw the article, contacted us, and we licensed the innovation,\u201d Gomes recalls.<\/p>\n At UNESP, dedicated staff build connections with industry by hosting meetings and attending trade fairs. The university also engages in collaborative projects with the private sector and has hired a journalist to publicize its portfolio. \u201cThese initiatives provide an opportunity for direct contact with potential partners and allow us to adapt technologies to market requirements,\u201d explains Marcelo Ornaghi Orlandi, an advisor at the UNESP Innovation Agency.<\/p>\n UNICAMP\u2019s Innovation Agency similarly invests in promoting its technologies as one of its strategies. It also integrates technology transfer activities with communication efforts. \u201cWe are constantly cataloging our technologies\u2019 capabilities and the expertise of our researchers, making it easier to connect the university\u2019s offerings with specific market needs,\u201d notes Renato Lopes, executive director at Inova UNICAMP. The agency has also introduced special events, competitions, and entrepreneurship courses into the academic curriculum, encouraging students and researchers to establish their own spinoffs and startups\u2014another pathway to monetizing the university\u2019s research.<\/p>\n A case in point is BF3 Medical, an academic spin-off that leveraged intellectual property developed within the university. Founded by three UNICAMP professors based on their own research, the startup produces custom titanium implants for cranial deformities. These implants are designed based on CT scans and fabricated using 3D printers, allowing for better precision in surgical procedures. \u201cCreating an entrepreneurial culture is important, particularly for cutting-edge technologies that are harder to license due to their high risks, greater resource requirements, and longer development times,\u201d notes Karin Goebel.<\/p>\n Marcelo Pinho, an economist at UFSCar\u2019s Department of Production Engineering, who was not involved in the study, says that while the proactive efforts of NITs are valuable, technology transfer is just one way research institutions can connect with industry. He notes that the Innovation Act was later amended by the 2016 Innovation Framework to expand the mandate of NITs to include \u201cpromoting and facilitating engagement between science and technology institutions (ICTs) and industry.\u201d Pinho also underscores that innovation in Brazil\u2014unlike in many other countries where it is primarily driven by private enterprises\u2014relies heavily on universities, complicating the process. \u201cInnovation is not a linear process, and we need to go beyond a supply-side approach. It\u2019s unrealistic to expect universities to develop innovations that companies then merely fine-tune and monetize. Researchers need to build stronger, long-term, and ongoing collaborations with industry,\u201d he argues.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/rpf-transferencia-tecnologia-2024-12-800.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
Mayara Ferr\u00e3o<\/span>Key strategies reported include contacting potential partners via email and by phone; attending events to network; analyzing market trends and product launch scenarios; developing communication and marketing plans to showcase inventions and research capabilities; and creating platforms to connect universities with industry.<\/p>\n