Jennifer Gao, University of Melbourne, looks to the alternative ways university commercialisation offices can support academics better.
As Australian higher education institutions face funding cuts, commercialisation of research can provide an additional source of income. But while success stories like internet company Google (Stanford University) and computer vendor Digital Equipment Corporation (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) inspire commercialisation activities, the managers responsible point out that generating a multimillion-dollar university spinout is about as likely as winning the lottery.
Screening countless research and inventions to identify those that may lead to great profits not only requires time, expertise and…
