Case Study in Technology Transfer Training: U.Porto

Case Study in Technology Transfer Training

Universidade do Porto (U.Porto)
Digital Interface for Blind
Module and Process of Extraction of volatile and Semi-Volatile Species Based on Gas Diffusion

by Filipe Castro and Heath Naquin
June 17, 2024

This is one in a series of case studies in how the University-Technology Enterprise Network (UTEN) is helping Portuguese Technology Transfer Offices develop practices that lead to globally competitive and sustainable operations. This case study is an example of how UTEN applies Technology-Based Training (use of real cases during training) to accomplish this goal.

About U Porto

With origins dating back to the eighteenth century, the University of Porto is currently the largest education and research institution in Portugal. Close to 29,000 students, 2,300 teachers and researchers along with 1,700 administrative staff attend its 15 schools and 69 scientific research units, spread across 3 university campuses located in the city of Porto. Every year, around 2,000 international students choose this university to complete their higher education. With 69 research units, the University is responsible for over 20% of the Portuguese articles indexed each year in the ISI Web of Science.

In recent years, the University has been focusing in providing greater economic value to its scientific production through recent partnerships with Portuguese industry leaders which have already resulted in several innovations with proven success in the national and international markets.

With 475 training programs and an increased focus on scientific return, the University was ranked number 214 in the world in 2008 and is ranked 1st in Portugal by Webometrics Ranking of World Universities.

Academic Units:

• Faculty of Architecture, FAUP
• Faculty of Dental Medicine, FMDUP
• Faculty of Economics, FEP
• Faculty of Engineering, FEUP
• Faculty of Fine Arts, FBAUP
• Faculty of Law, FDUP
• Faculty of Letters, FLUP
• Faculty of Medicine, FMUP
• Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science , FCNAUP
• Faculty of Pharmacy, FFUP
• Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, FPCEUP
• Faculty of Sciences, FCUP
• Faculty of Sport, FADEUP
• Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, ICBAS
• Porto School of Management, EGP

About the TTO - UPIN - University of Porto Innovation

University of Porto Innovation (UPIN) is the technology transfer office of the University of Porto (U.PORTO). The mission of UPIN is to support U.PORTO innovation chain, mainly by supporting the connection with industry, creating conditions to include U.PORTO R&D projects in funding schemes, identifying and developing efforts to commercialize R&D results to industry and stimulating the creation of technology based spin-offs. UPIN aims to be considered an important distinction factor to the U.PORTO mission, contributing to the country socio-economic development, stimulating the creation of new companies, new jobs, and enlarging the university’s internationalization efforts.

UPIN has been heavily involved in UTEN activities over the course of 3.5 years. U Porto staff have participated in intensive onsite training, participated in extended internship programs and conducted technology assessments under the mentorship of UTEN and University of Texas at Austin Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) staff. In the past, U Porto staff has participated in at least 7 UTEN-sponsored conferences and workshops. In addition UPIN Technology Entrepreneurship Manager, Filipe Castro, conducted a two-month U.S. internship at the OTC in Austin, TX working directly with OTC and UTEN staff.

Mr. Castro’s internship was focused on developing skill sets needed to restructure UPIN TT processes. Primary objectives for this internship were:

• Develop skills on the technology commercialization process.
• Relate technology commercialization issues with spin-out support activities.
• Develop marketing efforts for technology commercialization.
• Gather valuable information in order to transfer knowledge and benchmark methodologies to UPIN - University of Porto Innovation Office.

Technology Assessments

Mr. Castro brought two specific UPIN technologies to Austin to engage in technology assessment over the course of his internship. These technologies were:

• Digital Interface for Blind;
• Module and Process of Extraction of volatile and Semi-Volatile Species Based on Gas Diffusion.

Over the course of his internship, various industry and academic experts in associated field for the UPIN technologies were contacted. It is estimated that at least 8 direct primary research interviews were conducted with industry experts for presented UPIN technologies. Those contacts with industry, utilizing the Rapid Screen methodology, led to the determination that additional expenditure of effort in the form of a MarketLook for either technology was not justified. UTEN staff Heath Naquin concurred with this conclusion.

Training Methodology

As stated previously, the focus of Mr. Castro’s internship was to further develop skills sets needed to restructure UPIN Technology Transfer processes. One of the primary functions of Technology Transfer Office(s) (TTOs) is to effectively sort and analyze technologies presented for commercial potential to better allocate scarce resources and personnel. It was a goal of this internship to present Mr. Castro with ample exposure to various methodologies of technology assessment in active use by TTOs. These included:

• UTEN RapidScreen Assessment Methodology
• IC² MarketLook Commercialization Assessment
• UT Austin OTC Confidential Invention Disclosure Assessment Form

An additional goal of this internship was to allow Mr. Castro to make direct and personal contact with key industry, venture capital and research entities in the US. To this effect a trip to the World’s Best Technology (WBT) Showcase was arranged by Heath Naquin.

“The World’s Best Technologies Showcase is the nation’s premier event showcasing the largest collection of vetted and mentored companies and technologies emanating from top universities, labs, research institutions, and the private sector from across the country and around the globe.”

The event took place this year in Arlington, Texas. WBT is recognized for having high quality seed and early stage deals. The organizing committee of the WBT showcase states that one in every three business idea’ presenters find secure venture funding, license their technology, or sell their IP rights.

At this event, Mr. Castro was able to meet and network directly with research groups, industry technology transfer professional along with venture and angel capital. Representative connections made for U Porto include: Austin Ventures, Silver Creek Ventures, Innovate Texas, NIST, UT Arlington, Lynntech and others.

During his internship Mr. Castro attended a one class day in the a Program launched by the UT Austin, “From Idea to Intellectual Property”, which gathers together law and physical sciences students, and aims to develop skills among them in order generate technology based ideas and businesses. During the class, UT teachers approached the subject of developing activities of technology commercialization and also of patent claims drafting. Rick Friedman spoke about technology transfer activities at the OTC and provided information that is important to have in mind during the processes of technology commercialization. The OTC Associate Director provided several examples about how to move forward in a business field that uses technologies and patents as tools to be competitive.

Mark Murdock, a well-known Texan patent attorney presented several interesting topics about claim drafting. The way students can protect their inventions using appropriated language and concepts were the ideas provided by Murdock during his presentation.

Assessment Findings and Deliverables

Considerable benefit was gained for U Porto over the course of this internship. According to Mr. Castro, the Individual Specialized Internship in Technology Transfer was an excellent opportunity to restructure and readapt organizational procedures and to improve our process of technology commercialization, needs which his UPIN colleagues face daily. The OTC internship, as well as contact with other entities at within the University of Texas System, allowed Mr. Castro to embed personal skills with organizational knowledge, particularly methodologies and practices that can be benchmarked and adapted to the Portuguese reality and the UPIN context.

Next steps include transporting skills and knowledge gained to UPIN offices to assist in the

Training Lessons

Based upon post internship discussion and assessment, the following key lessons and observations were gained.

Impact on TTO Practices

Key interests Identified for further development include:

• Design of organizational procedures regarding TT workflow;
• Software tools to support TT processes;
• Individual skills Development

As a result of this technology-based training exercise, the UPIN TTO will make these changes to their technology transfer processes:

1. Development of public technology descriptions with inventors: UPIN has started working with researchers to create public descriptions of their technologies, both for promotion, and also to help researchers engage in the issues required for successful commercialization.
2. Incorporation of broad market review into standard processes: UPIN will conduct more rapid surveys of the market to get broad market perspective on a technology, and will avoid relying on one industry opinion.