Specialists meeting “The Transfers Managers Meeting. American Technology Transfer Model”

On February 21, 2020, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine held a meeting of technology transfer professionals to present the American experience of technology transfer and discuss the project of the Ukrainian model of technology transfer in modern conditions.

At an event called “The Transfers Managers Meeting. American Technology Transfer Model” was attended by representatives of a number of higher education institutions in Ukraine who underwent a one-week internship at the University of Georgia (public (non-private) academic and research university in the city of Athens; the university is the largest and oldest institution of higher education in the state; it is higher education institution;  it was founded in 1785 by Abraham Baldwin; the University of Georgia is the oldest public university in the United States).

Representatives of the Interregional Technology Transfer Network (Kyiv) were also present at the meeting.

Participants in the US training were representatives of the following higher education institutions:

• National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”;
• National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine;
• Bogdan Khmelnytsky Cherkasy National University;
• Sumy National Agrarian University;
• V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University;
• Chernihiv National University of Technology;
• Kyiv National University of Technology and Design;
• Stepan Gzhytsky Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology.

The participants shared their experiences of being at the oldest US university; said in what they were most interested and impressed there; reported what changes had already been made to their higher education institutions upon arrival home. In general, a lot of useful information was provided. The main points were as follows:

1. Technology transfer is licensing itself, not transfer, sale, or anything else.
2. Creating technology transfer offices, or even a research hub, is the future of innovation in Ukraine.
3. The PR department of technology (technology advancement in social networks) is a popular phenomenon in the USA, but not here. This should be corrected.
4. The educational model in Ukraine needs to be rethought in line with the new realities of the modern innovation world.
5. An innovative ecosystem (the so-called innovation area) should be created and developed, which should include all components of innovation work.
6. Much attention is paid to project management.
7. Focusing on state innovation needs is of great importance. Today it is a military-technical area, metal structures, electromechanisms (electric trucks).
8. The key to enhancing the level and quality of innovations implemented is the motivation of researchers.

These were the main ideas presented by the participants of the training at the University of Georgia. It has been announced that such training will be annual.