EU Universities Weigh Spin-offs versus Licensing in Tech Transfer

"With regional development and high-tech employment near the top of the agenda in many countries of the EU, a flurry of conferences will be discussing the best way to put the fruits of academic research, including biotechnology, to economical use.

Lessons learned in the UK, one of the European countries most advanced in exploiting its homegrown knowledge, could prevent other countries from making the same mistakes when developing their biotech sector. In particular, the high number of companies spun out of UK universities is spurring debate over whether the country should start shifting priorities from creating spin-offs to licensing inventions to outside companies.

Read more in this news @ nature.com article.