What is knowledge and technology transfer?
Knowledge and technology transfer (K&TT) is a collaborative process that allows scientific findings, knowledge and intellectual property to flow from creators, such as universities and research institutions, to public and private users. K&TT serves to transform inventions and scientific outputs into new products and services that benefit society.
Intellectual property (IP) is an important instrument at the research and development level. It helps assure the ownership over intellectual findings and the capacity to control the use of IP in line with an institution's mission and core values.
IP is also a powerful business tool to gain position on the market and exclusivity over a new product or process. This makes it an important instrument to attract partners and potentially obtain return on research investment through development collaboration or licensing deals.
Understanding how IP serves technology transfer is the first step towards managing your technology transfer processes effectively.
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Call for Applications: WIPO - ASEAN Lab-to-Market (L2M) Program 2025 - 2026
Are you a knowledge and technology transfer (K&TT) practitioner working in a university or public research institution in the ASEAN region?
The application deadline is: October 1, 2025.
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Incentives in Technology Transfer
A practical guide on how to effectively encourage, recognize and reward researchers and technology transfer professionals.
Knowledge and technology transfer from lab to market
For effective K&TT, universities and research institutions must thrive within a dynamic innovation ecosystem that fosters collaboration among academia, industry and government. This ecosystem supports the commercialization of research by providing essential resources, networks and policies, enabling the flow of ideas and technologies for societal impact.
1. Identify and disclose innovation
Researchers identify promising innovations and disclose their findings to the institution's technology transfer office (TTO), initiating the K&TT process.
2. Assess and secure IP
Technology transfer organizations evaluate the invention's commercial potential and secures intellectual property (IP) rights to protect the research outcomes.
3. Develop and de-risk innovation
Innovations are refined through prototyping and testing, using input from potential users or buyers, to reduce risks and make the technology attractive to licensees or investors.
4. Develop commercialization strategy
A tailored commercialization strategy is created and implemented to bring the derisked innovation to market through licensing, partnerships, or spinouts.
5. Negotiate and finalize deals
TTO assesses the technology’s market value, negotiates technology transfer agreements, and finalizes deals with partners to bring the technology to market.
6. Monitor agreements & assess impact
TTO monitors compliance with licensing or partnership agreements, oversees revenue sharing, and assesses the societal and economic impact of the innovation after it enters the market.
Institutional IP Policies Database
Most universities and research institutions have developed IP policies. Browse WIPO’s Database of IP policies for examples of policies to help you better understand how other institutions deal with IP issues.
This database is indispensable for developing IP policies. It allowed us to analyze existing university policies and IP management approaches. It's an excellent resource for TTOs, offering contract templates, confidentiality agreements, and other key information for effective IP management. I frequently use it to identify emerging IP trends in academia and promote IP policy importance.
José Luis Solleiro, UNAM, Mexico
Knowledge and technology transfer publications
IP Policy Toolkit
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Technology Transfer Negotiations
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Successful Technology Licensing
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Incentives to Engage in TT
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IP Valuation for Technology Transfer
Series on IP Valuation for TT Professionals
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IP Policy Toolkit
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[Shorthand page to be created]
This toolkit provides resources like checklist, template, and guidelines to help academic institutions develop effective IP policies.
Technology Transfer Negotiations
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Successful Technology Licensing
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This manual focuses on issues essential for understanding licensing, including the context in which licensing may occur, key terms of a licensing agreement and negotiation methods, and how to prepare for and negotiate a win-win licensing contract.
Incentives in Technology Transfer
[Why not same "Incentives in Technology Transfer" title as feature at the top?]
A practical guide on how to effectively encourage, recognize and reward researchers and technology transfer professionals.
Intellectual Property Valuation Basics for Technology Transfer Professionals
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Build a strong foundation in IP valuation to enable impactful knowledge and technology transfer.
Accelerating innovation in life sciences
Discover the Primer on Technology Transfer in the Field of Biotechnology – WIPO’s new practical guide featuring user-friendly templates, model clauses, and sample agreements to help biotechnology stakeholders navigate IP, commercialization, and effective technology transfer from lab to market.
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Knowledge and technology transfer in action
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