TCH+Sructure

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Structure of the Technology Commercialization Handbook (TCH)
The Technology Commercialization Handbook, currently at a very early stage of development, is intended to serve as a practical, “how to” guide. Its primary purpose is to help countries, and academic, government, research, and private organizations understand what technology commercialization is, how it has been applied and with what results, and how to assess if technology commercialization is an appropriate strategy to reach defined goals in terms of benefits, feasibility, and likelihood of success.

You will be able to **search** the TCH for for your needs, or use it as a **learning tool** by reading the Handbook Sections in sequence. We have tried to arrange the TCH Sections in the sequence that corresponds to most people's thinking that technology diffusion leads to adpotion and adaptation of external technologies (so called "new to the country" or "new to the firm"). In turn, this can lead to increasing R&D capacity, and thus to commercialization of new technologies. This is an over-simplified view but may be a useful guide. If you disagree - please let us know.

We need you to add your experience and engage in discussion of issues. The TCH **wiki format** enables you to do this easily. See: How to make changes to this wiki and Guidelines for contributors.

New to the idea of commercialization - or want to get a general overview?
Basic elements, good practices, and examples which are important to understand – and which apply to countries at all levels of science and technology capacity.

Introduction and background
A common definition of technology commercialization is that it is the process of taking an idea to market and creating financial value. Although the concept of commercialization sounds simple, many governments are discovering that implementing a successful commercialization program is more complex initially believed.


 * Handbook Sections **

Innovation Models
An overview of innovation models and how the tools of technology commercialization link together into the broader innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and business enabling environment is provided.

Technology Diffusion
The role of Design and Development (D&D) versus Research and Development (R&D), and knowledge and support needed so that a developing country can build on its experience of technology diffusion to create commercialization capacity.

Finding Opportunities, Technology Assessments
Templates for conducting technology assessments and evaluation of results, minimizing potential negative factors, developing technology roadmaps.

Managing Intellectual Property
Protecting IP and know-how, deciding when to protect, v aluing IP and technology, business models for commercializing IP, and navigating conflicts of interest.

Sources of Ideas: Technology Push, Market Pull
Understanding markets for IP, know-how, and technology, how industry searches for new product ideas, and manages new product development cycles, and involving potential customers in the R&D process.

Packaging Expertise
Attracting customers, strategic partners, and investors, developing packaging and promotion capabilities, use of personal and business networks, and use of intermediaries and technology bid/offer markets.

Market Intelligence
M arket and competitive intelligence methods and ethics, identifying new opportunities, market selection and positioning, and minimizing investment risks.

Public Research Organizations
Understanding the technology licensing process, estimating direct and indirect income from technology commercialization, and supporting technology commercialization not linked to higher education or research institute structures (small businesses, individual inventors and entrepreneurs).

University-Industry Relations
Creating and sustaining efficient technology acquisition and commercialization relationships between universities, and public research institutes, and industry.

Technology Transfer Offices
Establishing, budgeting, and staffing a technology commercialization/transfer office, funding and return on investment for commercialization, protection of IP, negotiating joint ventures, connecting local technology business entrepreneurs and scientists with potential customers, strategic partners, joint venture partners and investors.

Global R&D Needs
Understanding and responding to industry needs, creation of “born global” companies, improving domestic industry uptake of research, and support for technology adoption, adaptation, and development.

Competitive Grant Programs
Expected outcomes of pre-commercialization grants and joint research grants, grant applications and requirements, evaluating grant outcomes, finding and evaluating partners, and other models.

Developing New Products
M anaging the development of innovative solutions from research to product sales, decision making methods, StageGate™ methods, assessing risks and rewards, identifying and overcoming barriers, the fuzzy front end of technology new product development.

Social Networks
E ffective communications with business partners, managing virtual teams, dealing with domestic and foreign investors, and c ompetencies required by technology commercialization managers.

Spin-off Companies
Making the license versus new company creation decision, managing and financing spin-off companies, valuing the company, and investment exits.

Financing Commercialization
D eveloping deal flow, local and global financing models, moving through the “valley of death,” setting up and running an angel investor network, management of deals and post deal management, investment portfolio management, and e valuating the terms and conditions of a proposed deal.

Science Parks, Incubators
Integrating S&T parks into a country's economic development policy, financing S&T parks and incubators, developing a budget, good practices, success factors, and metrics for S&T parks and incubators.

Checklists
Assessing the commercial potential of the science and technology base, implementing IP strategies, forming a joint venture, developing metrics for measuring commercialization outputs and outcomes, and forming R&D alliances and conducting joint and outsourced R&D.

Blog Posts
Selected comments from blogs related to TCH topics.

Sandbox
A place to practice wiki editing.