Introductory elements about collaboration and licensing agreements

  • Agreements made should reflect the objectives of the respective parties and be clear as to what happens if objectives should be achieved or if they should fail to be realized.
  • The scope of the partnership should be considered, in terms of the nature of research to be carried out or resources shared, the types of products aimed for, and the areas of application if commercialized later.
  • How many parties can best be involved?
  • Is the ideal collaboration one involving relatively free exchange of data and resources, one built around intellectual property rights, or a hybrid form?
  • If intellectual property is involved, what rights to the Background and Foreground IP will apply?
  • Access to data. The principles by which data, materials or resources are to be shared, including ownership, use rights, ethical and privacy issues need to be established.
  • Is the model one of free sharing or are there restrictions and/or intellectual property issues? Open Innovation models and the new concept of Expert Centres are discussed here.
  • Publication of results. Academic institutes need freedom to publish results (and allow PhD candidates to publish and defend their theses). How is this to be organized to protect the interests of both industry and academia?