Akron to lend CSU a hand on licensing; Collaboration is move toward university system urged by Gov. Strickland, Fingerhut

In what is billed as the first major collaborative effort by public universities during Gov. Ted Strickland's tenure, the University of Akron has agreed to manage technology, commercialization and intellectual property initiatives by Cleveland State University.

The work would be performed by the 6-year-old University of Akron Research Foundation, said Ken Preston, the University of Akron's associate vice president for research, director of tech transfer and executive director of the research foundation. M.J. Saunders, provost of Cleveland State, said the research foundation ``would help us on licensing agreements, and they would help us pursue licensing.''

No money is changing hands under the arrangement, Dr. Saunders said. However, Mr. Preston said he hopes the partnership would foster opportunities for joint research or programming between the two schools.

The University of Akron also is in talks with Kent State University, the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy and Youngstown State University regarding similar partnerships, Mr. Preston said. The University of Akron also has offered its tech transfer services to Bowling Green State University, and Mr. Preston said he would not turn away any private schools that want to partner on tech transfer.

``We are putting together a team who could really help in economic development efforts in this region,'' he said. ``We're trying to create wealth in the region.''

Foundation for a deal

Gov. Strickland and Ohio Board of Regents chancellor Eric Fingerhut have challenged Ohio's public colleges to find ways to collaborate and move toward becoming a university system. Mr. Preston said the arrangement with Cleveland State is the first major university collaboration to come out of those efforts, and he called it especially unique because it focuses on economic development.

Public colleges are limited in how they can boost the economy because they're prohibited by law from investing in or owning stakes in companies, Mr. Preston said. However, they can sidestep that law by channeling intellectual property, inventions and startup companies through a private research foundation such as the University of Akron Research Foundation, which as a nonprofit entity can own stakes in companies and inventions, he said.

The inability to own equity likely has stifled some previous efforts to commercialize research at Cleveland State, Dr. Saunders said.

``I don't think there was a real expectation in the past that this was the responsibility of the university,'' she said.

But now that tech transfer is gaining ground among public and private universities, Dr. Saunders said it didn't make sense for Cleveland State to start its own research foundation and duplicate what the University of Akron already had done.

Under the arrangement with Cleveland State, the University of Akron Research Foundation will evaluate products and technologies for commercialization, and will negotiate and administer contracts to transfer commercialization rights from the school to the foundation or to a private company for intellectual property or technology developed at the school. These services will be provided upon request by Cleveland State.

Faculty committees at Cleveland State will continue to discuss and evaluate tech transfer opportunities, and the university still can foster its own partnerships, Dr. Saunders said.

Potential partners

A Kent State spokesman said the university is aware of the offer by the University of Akron to collaborate and that it would use any such program when it makes sense for Kent State. However, NEOUCOM and Youngstown State are more open to a joint tech transfer program with the Akron school.

Walter Horton, vice president for research at NEOUCOM, said the medical school is carefully considering the partnership.

``It's something I think will happen in some form,'' Dr. Horton said. ``We are all working very hard to put something in place.''

NEOUCOM already has a research foundation, but Dr. Horton said both NEOUCOM and the University of Akron could benefit by sharing expertise or relationships with companies and investors that are exclusive to each institution.

Peter Kasvinsky, associate provost for research and dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Youngstown State, said a partnership with the University of Akron could be helpful, especially when dealing with small companies that want Youngstown State's help with research and development. Youngstown State then could take equity in a company in exchange for research work, he said.

Dr. Kasvinsky said Youngstown State officials are examining an agreement drafted by the University of Akron and they like what they see.

``We can either use the foundation or not use the foundation at will, which is a very nice arrangement,'' Dr. Kasvinsky said.