Commercialization of scientific achievements

Abstract

Effective technology transfer can be a source of sustainable competitive advantage and thus is key for economic growth. The aim of the guide is to shed light on the area with big potential and still few success stories in Poland – bringing scientific discoveries to the market at large profit. In most cases of new discoveries patenting is the best way of protecting intellectual property (IP); however there are exceptions from this rule. A new patented technology can be commercialized in three ways: a) selling/assigning ownership to the third party; b) licensing and c) via a start-up company owning the technology (spin-off). First option is the fastest, but usually gives the least reward. Breakthrough technologies can be a foundation of great companies, the shares of which can get very valuable quickly. How much of the company’s shares belong to the inventor depends on technology’s value (measured by ability to generate cash) and scale of investments needed to build the company. There is capital available for spin-off with viable technologies, both from public and private sources. Choosing the right one depends on the phase of company development and its needs. Early stage enterprises should seek partners among seed funds that have specific know-how of building new companies and can properly complement the competence of the inventor. Business Angel Seedfund is focused on investment in Poland-based projects from biotech and ICT industries.