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Aleck Ncube 

FAR too much otherwise usable university research fails to find its way to advanced stages of research, commercial products, or other uses. Given the fundamental nature of much university research, a certain amount of this research will appropriately reach its potential with publication and classroom instruction, but a substantial volume of these innovations instead deserves life in products, services, research tools and methodologies, and other uses.

Unfortunately, exploitation of university innovations does not seem to be what it could be in Zimbabwe and is significantly below its potential for evolving to later stages of research, advancing human welfare, and spurring economic growth. There are success stories that should be celebrated, but when measured against potential and opportunity, much more must be expected from and more must be done by industry, Government, universities, and their respective leaders.

The Government has declared and reiterated that our country’s development thrust shall be to support and pursue the usefulness of the fruits of research conducted using Government funding, including through increased collaboration between and among industry, universities, and Government. 

This calls for maximising results of research that contributes to or can result in economic growth, industrialisation and advances in human welfare.

Context for advancing university innovation

The more traditional roles of universities in teaching and basic research are critical means by which universities advance knowledge, pursue innovation and contribute to the well-being of society. Innovations derived from universities and other Research and Development (R&D) institutions have transformed our communities, nation, and our world in exciting and fulfilling ways. A new reality has evolved in recent decades in which universities pursuing their research missions are now positioned to catalyse innovation and economic growth and improve the human welfare in the country. 

In this quest, Government has established Innovation Hubs in select universities in the country. The Government’s education 5.0 policy thrust is anchored on universities driving the industrialisation of the country through coming up with innovations that can be commercialised. 

Educational benefits of advancing university innovation 

People frequently consider money as the primary benefit to a university that advances its innovations, but money may be among the least important. Yes, revenue is available from royalties, licence fees, equity positions and options, and sponsored research. 

In addition, success and good experiences can increase donations from alumni and others associated with the university experience, which can enhance labs, facilities, equipment, endowed chairs, and more. However, there are direct benefits to the university’s core academic mission. 

Evidence suggests that when universities engage well with business and strive to maximise their innovation potential, staff, students, and the university itself can experience profound educational benefits. For academic staff, the experience of engaging with industry while advancing innovations can enhance professional development and lead to coaching or mentoring relationships and other experiences that benefit them in the lab and the classroom.

In the lab, researcher interactions with business might help them keep current with or get ahead of trends and recognise new, different opportunities for their existing or future research or its results. Researchers and staff also might better understand valuation, development, and commercialisation processes. 

In the classroom and as advisors, such academic staff might have more credibility, be able to relate more tangibly to their students’ work aspirations, and provide a better window into real world content applications and processes. 

For students, hands-on research opportunities increase knowledge and marketability. Working with professors who have commercialised innovations can improve what and how the students learn and can open doors for internships, fellowships, advanced education, and jobs — all of which also benefit industry and our society. 

These interactions, between universities and industry, also contribute to the mutually beneficial social networks that facilitate research collaborations, shared ideas and healthy debates. These interactions allow for the direct flow of ideas from the university to business and vice versa across a wide range of disciplines.

Moreover, university-business relationships can enhance the university’s reputation, thereby allowing it to recruit higher quality staff who attract more research funding that yields advances in research and results, which perpetuates a cycle — all to the benefit of academic staff, students, and the university. 

Industry has a vested interest in preserving academic and research integrity or it risks losing money invested in developing products based on faulty research, their profit potential, and opportunities lost because of the wasted time and focus. 

Such problems also can affect the quality of the workforce and can devastate companies and their employees, creditors, investors, and even communities. In addition, ethical lapses can undermine reliability of research results that are or are perceived to be compromised.

Intellectual Property

Universities best at advancing innovation understand that there are a variety of options when addressing intellectual property issues regarding ownership, exclusivity, use rights, and other matters. 

They also understand that different innovations may warrant different strategies; different stages of development afford varying degrees of leverage; and different market demands, risks, and opportunities may justify different tactics.

Patenting may be the best approach when it is essential to preserve a legitimate competitive advantage, to exploit the invention for substantial commercial or social gains or both, or to arm against infringement claims. Patenting may not be appropriate in other contexts or sometimes even if the above mentioned factors are present. Patenting is not the only intellectual property option available for protecting or exploiting university innovations. 

The precise strategies deployed should depend on a number of factors. These factors help universities determine whether to patent, to assign, to license, or to make the innovation freely available as open source, through publication, or otherwise. 

If the university pursues licensing, it then must determine whether the licence should be exclusive or non-exclusive, limited in time or perpetual, limited in geography, limited to a particular use, or if the terms and restrictions should vary depending on whether the use is for commercial, academic research, or charitable purposes.

Far too many meaningful university innovations lie dormant and under-utilised. Given the amount of money spent annually to further university research and the relatively low levels of quantitative return, one can argue that this under-utilisation creates enormous waste, unrealised potential, and even moral failure. 

Among these innovations may lie more effective ways to cure, treat, and prevent disease; ways to better conserve, exploit or replenish natural resources; technologies that allow us to better understand science; or any number of other useful discoveries. 

We need sustained efforts to advance university innovations as envisioned by the Education 5.0 policy. Government could also offer tax incentives to enterprises investing in collaborative research, thereby bridging the current “valley of death” to “increase economic welfare” and the productivity of Government R&D investment.

-Aleck Ncube is an intellectual property scholar based in Bulawayo. He can be contacted on Mobile: +263712374408 Skype: Matintas1 Twitter: @aleckncube Alternative e-mail: [email protected]