Transfer from University to Industry

1. Background
The rapid development and industrialization of biotechnology started at the beginning of 1980s in China. In order to promote the development of biotechnology and the bio-tech industry effectively, the Chinese government lists biotechnology as the preferential field in the national science and technology development, and adopts a series of valid measures. For example, establishing the National Leadership Group for the Promotion of Bio-tech Development and Industrialization to guide and coordinate the nationwide development and industrialization of biotechnology, listing the biotechnology as a key field in the National Middle and Long-term Science and Technology Development Plan, further increasing the R&D fund, and establishing national bio-tech industry bases. Through more than 20 years’ development, the total level of Chinese biotechnology has taken the leading place among the developing countries, and achieves the advanced level in the world partly. The bio-tech industry has primarily formed in China.

For the Chinese public science and technology resources has been leaned to the research institutions for a long time, the bio-tech R&D strength is mainly concentrated in the research institutions that belong to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture. The bio-tech R&D capabilities of Chinese universities are relative weaker, and most universities are mainly engaged in the training of bio-tech professionals.

However, with the deepening of Chinese education system reform and the changing of the role that universities play in Chinese national system of innovation, the research capability of Chinese universities is strengthening continuously, the third mission of universities is enhancing and expanding, and the relationship between the universities and the industries is increasingly closer. In order to meet the strong demand for the bio-tech development in the society, many Chinese universities set up related majors on bio-technology, providing a great deal of bio-tech professionals for the bio-tech industry and carrying out some foundation and application researches on biotechnology. With the strong support and promotion of Chinese government, the R&D capabilities of many comprehensive universities and professional colleges such as medical colleges and agricultural colleges are quickly strengthened, and they have obtained a great deal of research achievements, which has established well foundation for the bio-tech innovation and industrialization. The universities have already become an important strength in Chinese bio-tech R&D field.

Currently, industrialization is a weak part in the development and utilization of Chinese bio-technology, which is reflected obviously from he small scale of bio-tech industry and the lack of innovation in the products. The scale of most Chinese bio-tech enterprises is small, and there are few leading enterprise that own advanced technology and powerful strength. Most bio-tech innovations and patents come from the developed counties such as the USA, and the imitational productions take the dominated place. In this situation, developing the third mission of universities, strengthening the relationship between the universities and enterprises, and raising the industrialized rate of the university bio-tech achievements, are the effective approaches that can promote the development of Chinese bio-tech industry.

Therefore, examining the characteristics of the biotechnology transfer from university to different type of enterprises, and analyzing the factors that restrict the industrialization of biotechnology in universities have important practical significance for the universities to serve the Chinese bio-tech industry using their R&D achievements.

2. Contents and Objects
This project will be a case study for a selected local university to examine its bio-tech transfer to enterprises through data collection and interview.

The interview will cover the selected university, the enterprises that have cooperative relation with the university (including state-owned enterprises, private enterprises and spin-off enterprises), the government agency and other related sections, involving researchers and managers in the university and enterprises, the representatives of the government and other stakeholders.

Main Contents：
 Examine the research condition of bio-tech in the university, including the total amount, the share and main source of R&D fund, the number of R&D　achievements　such as patents, etc.
 Examine the main channels and modes that bio-tech transfer from the university to enterprises, including the formal and informal channels, commercial and uncommercial modes.
 Examine the detailed bio-tech transfer from the university to different type of enterprises, including the number, value and percentage of the contracts that the university makes with different type of enterprises (including state-owned enterprises, private enterprises and spin-off enterprises; large-scale enterprises and SMEs).
 Examine the effect of bio-tech transfer, that is, the practical influence that the bio-tech transfer brings to the development of the university and enterprises.
 Analyze the existing problems and related restricted factors during the bio-tech transfer from university to different type of enterprises, and discuss the resolution and its developmental trend in the future.

Expected Objects：
 Make suggestions for the universities on how to better serve the bio-tech industry using their knowledge production in bio-tech field.
 Make suggestions for the government on how to promote the bio-tech transfer from universities to industries.