Technology Transfer Magic Sauce Ingredients - When and Where to Use Them

It is well known amongst the biomedical community that translating basic research findings into disease treatments or cures is a long and arduous journey, and one that requires the participation of a large number of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Technology transfer, broadly defined as the sum of collaboration management, innovation management and intellectual property licensing, is central to the success of this translational process. This paper is a retrospective review of a select number of collaborations and case studies from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a Center within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that offers a fresh perspective on the field of technology transfer through the analogous lens of culinary arts. Roughly 70% of all active projects within NCATS involve at least one outside collaborator, and nearly 60% of the patent portfolio at NCATS is managed by outside partners, thus providing us with a rich set of case studies to analyze and identify critical practices that we as a community must follow. The paper provides the context and the timing when these good technology transfer practice ingredients can be effectively employed. Just like the magic sauce ingredients that great chefs use are all well-known and commonly available, technology transfer professionals too have the tools listed in this paper freely available. However, these ingredients have to be used judiciously at the right time and in combination with other raw materials to get the desired results. The reader would appreciate that just as thoughtfully chosen magic sauce ingredients are required for talented chefs to produce delicious meals, great technology transfer efforts also require a judicious combination of strategies. Nothing less would be acceptable for all of us engaged in medical research.