- [Woman Narrator] So the overarching mission of
UCSF is to really to ensure the result of all
our research can actually benefit the public,
provide educations, how we publish our data,
our findings and also want to make sure the technology,
the research, can be developed into, let's say,
like proud house services.
(upbeat music plays)
- [Male Narrator] Welcome to Strategy4Scientists.
This is a podcast for scientists interested in learning
the basics of business strategy through stories.
I am Kevin Hartman with Strategy4Scientists
at the University of California San Francisco, UCSF.
Today, we are speaking with Ying-Li Chen,
the technology marketing manager
at UCSF Office of Technology Management.
UCSF's mission statement is "advancing health worldwide."
Ying-Li was just telling us how
the Office of Technology Management, OTM,
plays an important role in this mission
by making sure that research done at UCSF
has the opportunity to impact the public.
They accomplish this by working
with faculty, post-docs, and grad students
to secure intellectual property rights
and find industry partners.
- [Ying-Li] We are a University so we here to do research,
and we can only do this much.
So we find hits, we find targets, but we are not
in the business of making or selling products.
We don't have the ability to actually
bring it to the market. After the research,
we are looking for partners to commercialize it
and to try to bridging the innovation gap.
- [Kevin] Ying-Li's office is the academic equivalent
of business development in the industry.
They help identify potential partnerships
and funding sources.
Other institutions may call their equivalent
the Technology Transfer Office.
In general, they arrange agreements that benefit
the university, faculty, and industry partners.
Ying-Li explains the types of research projects
that their office is interested in.
- [Ying-Li] We do research and
there are many, many different types.
We have basic research, and there's translational research.
So I guess our office really interesting
the projects like, I will say, translational science
because it has applications or the data that's kind of
close to what industry partners are looking for.
- [Kevin] The Office of Technology Management
handles research that would be attractive
to industry for its commercial value.
So what do industry partners actually seek
to achieve when collaborating with an academic lab?
- [Ying-Li] So we are really looking for
new innovation projects from the pipeline
to develop a portfolio.
So we are here to fill in the gap.
We provide complementary expertise to the industry partners.
They don't need to find a new target, new hit.
They can just do the validation.
So economic wise, it's cheaper for them to do that.
And collaboration is a good public image for them,
working with a university.
- [Kevin] Industry benefits from the
university's depth of expertise
and the economics of collaborating with labs
partially supported by public funds.
While the faculty may be experts
when it comes to the science,
they are often unprepared to handle alone
the issues related to commercialization.
- [Ying-Li] Scientists are all about sharing,
but they don't know the part when you patent,
or have intellectual property on research.
And that that adds the value.
So once you are published, your data or information
before you file the intellectual property,
you will ultimately lose the international right.
You will only have the U.S. right
to commercialize this idea.
So UCSF we have a lot of science research,
in markets pretty much I will say the global market.
And it's not a good situation where you only have U.S. right
even though you have the biggest market.
It's good for cancer therapy, you have the global market,
instead of just having the U.S. right.
- [Kevin] There are many specific legal
obstacles related to intellectual property
and confidentiality that the faculty
may be completely unaware of.
So it is important for them to communicate early on
in order to realize the full value of their project,
and clearly articulate a commercialization plan.
The faculty typically do not have the legal
or commercial expertise found in
the university's Technology Management Office.
- [Ying-Li] Our team we have 14 licensing officers,
and we have very strong science background and expertise.
That's why we here. We need to look at
your idea to find out there is commercial value,
and then if there is, then we find a way to protect it.
So that when we market this asset,
this intangible asset to the partners,
they see the value and develop based on that.
We'll give advice to our faculty or help them identify
those resources would help bring them to the next stage.
- [Kevin] The assets that Ying-Li refers to
could be any sort of intellectual property,
covering anything from a patentable molecule
to a trademarked method name.
We will hear more examples of intellectual property
from another member of the
Office of Technology Management in a later podcast.
So far in the process, the Office of Technology Management
has helped scientists identify whether they have
commercializable research and find appropriate partners.
The scientists have stayed involved mostly
to consult on the scientific details.
The Office of Technology Management next helps
set up the terms of the agreements
including, of course, the money part.
- [Ying-Li] From beginning, they have a idea.
We help them to file the intellectual property
and we find partner to commercialize that IP.
And then we will have money, kind of reimburse our research.
That will be the licensing part. One-third of the money
will go to the inventors, himself or herself,
kind of encourage the creativity.
And also some money will go to the department, the school.
So you see the money go to research, commercialize it,
and the money go back to the lab.
So it's very nice ecosystem.
- [Kevin] The Office of Technology Management
takes care of figuring out agreement terms,
financial or otherwise, and managing
the ongoing relationship to allow scientists
to focus on the science itself.
Ying-Li's role and its industry counterpart,
business development, are career paths
that some trainees may be unaware of.
So I asked her to share what she values
about working in this environment
and why it's rewarding to her.
- [Ying-Li] For my job, first you have to love science.
That's the very big part of my job because
you have to learn a lot of new things.
I always tell my colleague
everyday I feel I learn something.
And so the science part is always very intriguing.
And also I like to help people,
helping scientists to actually see their baby,
see their product actually be developed into.
The idea to be developed into a drug and
benefit millions of patients.
And so the science background, the passion for science,
the willingness to help people,
and all together, I think that's the reason why I'm here.
- [Kevin] Business development requires a mix of technical
scientific skill, and interpersonal skills.
On a technical side, they must rapidly learn
the science behind each new project
in order to evaluate its market potential.
They must be aware of what partners are available
in the industry, and what those partners' interests are.
Then, they must work to build relationships
that are mutually beneficial.
We thank Ying Li for sharing her experience
making sure that research done at UCSF
has the opportunity to be translational
and be commercialized.
Thank you for listening to Stategy4Scientists.
If you're interested in learning more,
check out the online lectures co-produced by iBiology
and the UCSF Office of Career and Professional Development.
We would like to thank the Burroughs Wellcome Fund
and the NIH, National Institute
of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) for grant funding.
Thanks also to the PRX Podcast Garage for the studio space
and helping us get started with this production.
Tune in here for more stories
about scientists using strategy.