The Role of Universities in the Commercialization of Medical Products: A Survey of Industry Views.

Survey methods were used to explore the expectations and recommendations of senior business development professionals with respect to the roles, activities, and interactions with US universities in the development of new medical products. This target group was chosen because it was judged to be most likely to interact with university faculty and technology transfer services and seek and acquire university assets. The survey instrument was first reviewed by a focus group of individuals with experience both in technology transfer and in academic or industry policy, then distributed to a selected subset of 80 business development professionals, of whom 72 responded. Serious concerns were expressed over the current mechanisms for technology transfer and university support of commercialization. When asked if they believed that there is a need for a change in the way that universities interact with industry in the US, 86% of the respondents replied that they either strongly agreed or agreed that there was, indeed, a need for change. Among several areas that might be improved, the availability of proof-of-concept facilities and funds for early-stage feasibility studies were most often identified as important.