Guidance

Intellectual asset management for universities

This guide helps Higher Education Institutions set strategies optimising the benefits from intellectual assets created by staff or students.

• From: Intellectual Property Office
• Published: 26 June 2014
• Last updated: 5 January 2022 — See all updates

Documents

Intellectual asset management for universities

PDF, 1.78 MB, 48 pages

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Details

This guidance was last updated in 2011 and does not reflect the new UK National Security and Investment Act (NSI) 2021, which comes fully into effect from 4 January 2022. Businesses and investors must check the guidance to understand what types of acquisitions are covered by the new rules. Guidance is available for education and research institutions, businesses and investors to understand the scope of the NSI Act and how to prepare for the new rules.

This guide aims to help senior university managers set strategies to make the most of the benefit from the intellectual assets created by their staff and students.

‘Intellectual assets’ is a broad term that varies in definition. In the context of this guide, ‘Intellectual assets’ extends beyond Intellectual Property (IP) rights to the know-how and trade secrets of the staff and students.

This guide will help individual institutions adopt their own strategic approach allowing them to use their IP to secure greatest benefit for the economy and society.

This guide is underpinned by the European Commission Code of Practice on management of IP in knowledge transfer, PDF 67.0KB.

Relevant UK Organisations

The UK has three bodies which cater for knowledge transfer professionals:

• PraxisUnico
• AURIL
• The Institute of Knowledge Transfer

Innovate UK hosts the Knowledge Transfer Networks which cater for different scientific and technical disciplines.

The Competition and Markets Authority has published recommendations to improve the regulatory framework for the undergraduate HE sector in England. It has published advice for HE providers and students on potentially unfair terms that allow for blanket assignment of students’ intellectual property rights.

Published 26 June 2014
Last updated 5 January 2022 + show all updates

1. 5 January 2022

   New text has been added to inform our users of the new UK National Security and Investment Act 2021 that comes into effect fully from 4 January 2022. Businesses and investors should check the guidance to understand what types of acquisitions are covered by the new rules.

2. 26 June 2014

   First published.