Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/123779
The Chief Executive's Introduction Mr Clive Rowland Co-founder and CEO This Strategic Plan forms part of the UMIP 2010 – 2015 Business Plan, but is also a stand-alone document. It sets out our ambition for the University to be a consistent world class performer in university intellectual property practice. It also portrays how UMIP intends to assist the University achieve this aim and explains our fundamental and clear principles in going about our work. Following a full review during 2009/2010 of the University's intellectual property activities and performance, and taking account of survey feedback and international benchmarking, we have formulated a strategy for the period to 2015, and beyond. Naturally we believe this will be a successful one in all of the main areas of UMIP's pursuits. Nonetheless strategic planning requires a constant reconciliation of many challenges, opportunities, ways and means in the light of changing circumstances. So we will regularly evaluate our progress and modify our business practices and the model, in the event that our journey is not advancing as quickly as we had planned or if it isn't travelling in the right direction. 6 For this five year plan period UMIP's strategy will be to collaborate with external partners where it is beneficial and makes sense to do so and to form a variety of funding and other external arrangements to enhance our resources and competencies. This means that we will choose the best out of everything on offer and select from different systems and sources rather than having a restricted and narrow approach. In turn, this will allow us the flexibility to tailor deals aligned to the diverse possibilities, potential and circumstances of the University's extensive academic activities as a means of maximising the options for transferring intellectual property. We operate at the boundary between the academic and business worlds. Of course, we recognise and respect that not everyone will want to engage in research commercialisation or least not for every aspect or stage of their work or career, nor perhaps have the time for it even if they are interested. Nevertheless we also advise on and arrange for timely confidentiality and preliminary IP protection to give staff choices and options. We do not have profit-making or even revenue-maximising objectives in the true sense. We commence a technology transfer project only when the research originator and the University/UMIP agree that dedicated IP protection and management of a project is the most relevant way to get an invention into use. From a licensing and venturing point-of-view, the rapid developments in science and technology and the growing complexity of the legal, funding and economic framework which surrounds them, presents us with major challenges: particularly in reducing the time taken from invention disclosure to market; in sourcing the ever increasing size of financing requirements for intellectual property protection and for technology and market development; and in locating and appointing compatible entrepreneurial managers and relevant licensing partners. >>