What seems clearer in hindsight is that neither policies, nor processes, nor technological understandings, nor legal and contractual matters, nor economic incentives are at the heart of technology transfer. It is relationships. Carefully drafted documents do not build trust. In fact, the early introduction of formal legalistic discussions inhibits the building of trust as individuals instinctively become more cautious about what they discuss openly. Academics do not naturally accept relationships with commercial ventures. Even though the greater proportion of the university budget in public universities increasingly comes from non-public sources, there is limited experience with commercial ventures other than grants and contracts. As the prospect for technology spreads across more disciplines, what appears to be needed is an articulated effort to build a better understanding of such ventures and allay fears of faculty that their research objectives might be distorted.
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