Technology-commercialisation skills study awarded grant

The Professional Standards Councils (PSC) will fund a year-long study to identify the skills and qualities required to successfully put research to use via commercialisation.

The $98,000 grant will help the study to provide a clear understanding of what it really takes to get new ideas generated by Australian publicly funded research organisations into society and the marketplace. The study will be run by Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA) and technology commercialisation consultancy gemaker (an associate member of KCA), which applied for the research grant in late November 2014.

 “There is an increasing expectation from government entities within Australia for publicly funded research organisations to improve on the conversion of research into commercial outcomes,” said KCA Executive Officer Melissa Geue.

“[T]his study will enable us as a community of practitioners to look strategically at what it means to be a commercialisation professional at a research organisation in Australia, and how we might look to improve upon how we go about our practice.”

To kickstart the project and help consolidate the study’s framework, a series of workshops will be hosted across Australia between April and June. Technology transfer practitioners and industry stakeholders will be invited to participate in the workshops, helping to shape the future direction of professional development within the sector and provide foresight as to the true nature of the skillset required to effectively undertake this role.

The study will provide insight into the different technology transfer models used across Australia and the mechanism used to equip people with knowledge of skills required by industry and research. The primary goal is to look at the skills and competencies required on both the research and business side, undertake a skills gap analysis and begin to assemble a framework for professional development across the Australian research commercialisation sector.

“Knowledge exchange and commercialisation is an important area of innovation for Australia, and building standards and professionalisation options for the industry is an opportunity to cement Australia’s leadership,” said PSC Chief Executive Officer Dr Deen Sanders.

“Our role is to encourage professional standards and consumer protection, and so we are pleased to support the research and commercialisation sector in taking a serious and strategic approach to building a profession in this area.”