|
|
Study of University Knowledge Transfer Office (UKTO)| Lead Investigator : Hossein Sharifi; Denis F Kehoe | Project Investigator: Weisheng Liu | Timescales: 36 months in total, 20 months so far | Project Outline:
The study addresses the grand challenges UKTOs now face in playing an essential role in the national innovation system. The response required however does not lie in usual areas of improvement such as efficiency and professionlism, but in turning the innovation culture within the university based knowledge transfer (KT) process from one of accidental to a business model and open based, managing the ever more complex processes, and in the same time maintaining and improving the process of generating knowledge and science within the universities. The study aims to understand the position, structure, performance, and processes in the UK UKTOs to lead to an extended view of the existing status as well as alternative approaches and solutions to strengthen the role and performance of these entities. Employing new thinking and theories such as Open innovation paradigm, Stakeholder, and Value Chain Management the project follows developing a reference model to study issues of 'strategy', 'value chain, process and activities', 'people, culture and organization', 'infrastructure and platform' as well as the 'management of risks' within UK KT systems The study is expected to identify and report critical aspects of UKTO role and operations for informing the national policy. HRIs, professional bodies of KT practitioners, and also to provide guidance for the HEIs and their KT systems. International benchmark is also going to be used in deriving new thinking and approaches in university KT systems. | Proposed Methods: Desk research: literature survey, reviewing the existing public data, conceptual models development. Field research: case study in the UK bases UKTO, survey of UKTO stakeholders, international benchmarking. | Key Messages from Our Research so far… Open innovation principles are not only applicable to the university knowledge transfer systems but a necessary move and transformation. The critical factors for university's successful adoption of open innovation include informing strategic intent and adoption, networking, an appropriately designed IP management regime, and the business model based approach to KT. UKTO as the institutianal establishment in the university industry interface should play critical role in mobilizing stakeholders to creating and capturing value. | Future Plans In-depthcase study in 5 universities (from the 24 examined so far) to complete the research findings from the previous stage, develop value stream maps of UKTO KT systems and process, and explore the key elements in further detail. Survey of stakeholders of UKTO intends to reveal the micro-context of UKTO, identify and map the key stakeholders' viewpoints, influence regarding the activities of UKTO. International benchmarking of UKTOs and mapping their approaches by exporting the ideas captured in the research and bringing feedback and new thinking to the UK systems. | Member Profile Hossein Sharifi: Dr. Sharifi is a lecturer at University of Liverpool Management School. Dr Sharifi has led some successful research projects including a prioneering work in the area of agile manufacturing, and Alignment of Supply Chains in the Liverpool University e-Business Research Centre. He has published widely in these areas some of which have received recognition and highly referenced. His other research interests are in the areas of "Lean and Agile systems" including Agile Supply Chain and Operations Management, and e-Business strategies, models and systems including e-government systems. Dennis F Kehoe: Saxby Professor of e-Business at Liverpool University Management School and Director of AiMeS Centre in Liverpool. AiMeS is leading the deployment of advanced internet technologies to ensure that businesses in the region are at the forefront of computing capability. Weisheng Liu: PhD Student in the University of Liverpool Management School, Doctoral Research Fellow of Northern Leadership Academy, and ORSAS Award winner | Links to other researchers Association of university and industry link: http://www.auril.org.uk Institute of Knowledge Tranfer: http://www.ikt.org.uk ProTon Europe: http://www.protoneurope.org i-Techpartner Network: http://www.i-techpartner.eu Association of Independent Research and Technology Organisations: http://www.airto.co.uk Association of Research Managers and Administrators: http://www.arma.ac.uk | News and upcoming events | Outputs: Journal Contributions – Refereed Sharifi, H., Liu. W., McCaul, B. & Kehoe, D. (forthcoming), Enhancing the flow of knowledge to innovation: Challenges for university based knowledge transfer systems, in Bessant, J. (eds.), Crreating wealth from knowledge, Edwards Elgar Paper submission: 'Open innovation in university knowledge transfer systems: a UK study' to International Journal of Technology Management, H. Sharifi, Weisheng Liu, Dennis Kehoe, Brian McCaul, submitted on 1st Oct 2007.
Conference Contributions – Refereed Liu, W., Sharifi, H. (2007), University knowledge transfer office management: a value chain perspective, BAM conference 2007, Warwick. Presentation of 'University Knowledge Transfer Office: an Operational perspective' by Weisheng Liu in Northern Leadership Academy Fellows Conference Sep 2007, Darlington.
| Working/Work in Progress Papers |
|
|
