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University leads the world with free intellectual property initiative

Press release issued: 29 June 2011

A portfolio of innovations and intellectual property (IP) developed by Bristol University can now be accessed free of charge thanks to a new initiative being rolled out by three universities.

A portfolio of innovations and intellectual property (IP) developed by Bristol University can now be accessed free of charge thanks to a new initiative being rolled out by three universities.

The project, entitled ‘Easy Access IP’, aims to increase engagement between universities and industry.

It will speed up the transfer of academic knowledge and expertise into the hands of commercial partners, who can then develop it to benefit the economy and society as a whole.

In March, the Universities of Bristol, Glasgow and King’s College London won £80,000 in funding from the Intellectual Property Office – the government body responsible for granting Intellectual Property (IP) rights in the United Kingdom – to become open innovation universities.

The University of Bristol has released its first Easy Access IP opportunities alongside King’s this week.

Dr Malcolm Skingle, Director, Academic Liaison at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today praised the consortium’s efforts to explore new ways of sharing university IP and said: “We welcome new mechanisms that open up the opportunities for engagement between industry and academia, and transfer new technology into the marketplace quicker.

“While sharing IP through traditional methods and licensing will still be appropriate in some instances, this new approach presents another way for universities to drive the development of new technology.”

Dr Neil Bradshaw, Director of Enterprise at the University of Bristol, said: “As early adopters of the Easy Access IP model we have a real opportunity for companies to move our innovations into the marketplace more quickly and easily than before. 

“This is a significant advance for our Universities and one where we are leading the world.”

Dr Alison Campbell OBE, Director of Innovation at King’s, said: “Some university IP can be too early-stage for a company to risk investment and could present an uncertain market, which can sometimes hinder industry take-up of IP.

“By offering easy access to this IP, companies can evaluate it quickly and explore its potential with reduced risk. This also means that we’re disseminating more of our knowledge for public benefit – a key part of our College mission.”

Professor Steve Beaumont, Vice-Principal for Research and Enterprise at the University of Glasgow, said: “We are delighted that King's and Bristol have adopted the Easy Access approach to their Intellectual Property.

“We look forward to working closely with them on this exciting project which will raise awareness of the vital role universities have in stimulating innovation.”

Further information

Further information and details of the Intellectual Property opportunities available, can be found on the three Universities' dedicated pages:

View University of Bristol’s opportunities

View King’s Easy Access IP opportunities

View University of Glasgow’s opportunities

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