Technology Development & Commercialization

Summary

Ecosystem building that supports the development and evolution of technologies through client relationships, problem solving events, and leveraging the impact of communities of makers.

Events

 

Biomedical Engineering-Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Alliance (BME-IDEA)

BME-IDEA is a global meeting for faculty and staff to share knowledge, experiences, and resources in biomedical engineering (BME) innovation education.

Facilities & Equipment

 

Fab Lab Equipment Requirements

The following document is an example of the tools, software, and vendors suggested by Fab Labs to run a digital fabrication laboratory.

Human Resources

 

Machinist Role Description

The following document provides an in-depth look at the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications for a machinist in the United States.

Design Studio Technician Job Description

The following document by the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology is an example of the responsibilities, characteristics, and qualifications necessary for a design studio technician.

Literature of Interest

 

Understanding the Maker in Academic Makerspaces

The following study by Mounde et al. (2020) explores the characteristics and qualities associated with the groups of people who constitute the makers in the makerspace.

Partnerships

 

Malawi Design Studios: Poly and MUST provide locally sourced PPE & technologies to respond to COVID-19

The following article explores how engineering design studios in Malawi used their resources, partnerships, and ingenuity to meet the needs of their local communities in the wake of COVID-19.

Using 3D printing to help in the fight against COVID-19 in Tanzania

The following article explores how the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, and the United Nations Development Programme-Tanzania collaborated to create life-saving 3D printed ventilator splitters amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

DIT and Rice360: UVGI N95 Mask Sterilization Project Report

The following report provides documentation of the collaborative UVGI N95 Mask Sterilization Project in Tanzania with the Dar es Salaam Institute for Technology and the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies.

Templates & Examples

 

DIT Project Timeline Template

The following Project Timeline Template is an outline summarizing project inspiration, ideation, and implementation developed by the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology.

Proposal Template - UBORA Design School

Example template for proposal submissions to the UBORA Design School in 2018.

AHEAD Institutional Self-Assessment Tool

The following self-assessment is intended to help Higher Education Institutions gauge their own performance and identify areas to improve support for research & innovation structures.

UBORA Poster Template

The following poster template from the UBORA design competition demonstrates how to structure a design competition poster submission.

Training & Capacity Development

 

AHEAD Innovation Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The African Higher Education Leadership in Advancing Inclusive Innovation for Development (AHEAD) offers lectures describing innovation management in low- and middle-income countries.

AHEAD Entrepreneurship Education Resource Pack

The African Higher Education Leadership in Advancing Inclusive Innovation for Development (AHEAD) offers an overview of the background knowledge and skills used to develop, organize, and measure the impact of entrepreneurship education courses.

Ethnography Field Guide

The Stanford Institute of Design outlines a framework and best practices for conducting effective interviews.

Design Thinking in One Hour - Institute of Design at Stanford

A fun, hour-long exercise offering an introduction to design thinking. Participants of this activity will design and iterate extensively through peer feedback until reaching a final product.

Facilitator's Guide to Design Thinking - Institute of Design at Stanford

A guide offering considerations, best practices, and activities for teaching design thinking.

Stanford Design Thinking Bootleg

The following resource is a deck of cards that breaks down Design Thinking into 5 components and provides definitions, examples, and methods to best inspire design.

AHEAD Innovation Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Trainer's Toolkit

This work package for instructors accompanies the AHEAD Innovation Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries module.

What to do in Need Finding

This resource from Stanford offers an overview and key considerations for need finding.

TD_TCD_WHO Humanitarian Needs Assessment_210701

This chapter from the World Health Organization (WHO) offers an overview of needs assessment in humanitarian settings, with a focus on health needs.

The Design Critique as a Model for Distributed Learning

This chapter by Brad Hokanson (2012) examines the design critique, a common aspect of studio design education, and its use in distance learning envrionments.

Summary

Market-oriented activities that bridge technology design and the development of commercialization-ready outputs for adoption and scaling by commercialization actors.

Events

 

Biomedical Engineering-Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Alliance (BME-IDEA)

BME-IDEA is a global meeting for faculty and staff to share knowledge, experiences, and resources in biomedical engineering (BME) innovation education.

Northwestern University - Tech Transfer Office Events

The following resource is an example of the different workshops, lectures, and information sessions Northwesten Innovation and New Ventures department uses to engage with their students and local entrepreneurs.

Facilities & Equipment

 

Northwestern University - Spaces / Facilities for Innovation

The following webpage describes the workspaces for wet-lab work, co-working and prototyping at Northwestern University.

Human Resources

 

Northwestern University - Patent and Invention Policy

The following document is an example of a University Patent and Invention Policy provided by Northwestern University.

Literature of Interest

 

Target Product Profiles for medical tests: a systematic review of current methods

This systematic review by Cocco et al. (2020) examines considerations for developing Target Product Profiles (TPP) for medical tests and identifies a framework for future users.

Intellectual Property Protection and Commercialisation

This chapter presents an overview of intellectual property (IP) rights for new innovations, discusses opportunities for commercialization after obtaining IP protection, and offers considerations for biomedical engineers creating health technologies.

Partnerships

 

Northwestern University – Partnerships for Translation

The following webpage highlights the different entrepreneurship and mentoring resources that Northwestern University offers its faculty and students when launching a company.

Templates & Examples

 

Biomarker Diagnostic Milestones Checklist

This checklist can be used to ensure that diagnostic biomarker technologies meet all requirements of the health innovation cycle before going to market.

From Lab to Launch: A Case Study on Country Prioritization

Intended for innovators looking to introduce and scale their products, scientists from the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia present a case study on country prioritization.

Sample Invention Disclosure Form

The following resource serves as an example of an invention disclosure form, usually submitted as a starting point to begin a patent on a resource or technology.

AHEAD National Innovation System Benchmarking Tool

National Innovation Systems can be characterized as the network of public and private sectors whose interactions create and diffuse new technologies. The following resource provides an array of benchmarks and statistics to gauge this network's progress and trajectory.

Training & Capacity Development

 

USAID Pathways to Scale

A guide to support early-stage global health innovators in bringing products to scale.

Funding

 

Fundraising For Global Health Social Enterprises: Lessons from the Field

This guide identifies common challenges, pitfalls, and best practices for securing fundraising as a global health social enterprise.

Summary

The process by which marketable technology offerings, whether products, processes, services and/or intellectual property and know-how, resulting from research and development, are made available to the marketplace.

Literature of Interest

 

Activities Pivotal for the Sustainability of Newly Established Technology Transfer Offices

This case study examines the strategic activities implemented to sustain Technology Transfer Offices at publicly financed South African universities.

University Equity Stakes in Spin-Outs

TenU describes considerations for allocating equity in university spin-out ventures.

Guide to Creating a University Spin-off Venture

The University of Cape Town provides a framework for the creation of a spin-off company to commercialize university intellectual property.

Route to Market Guide for Inventors – Medical Devices

The University of Cape Town provides a roadmap for best practices in taking new medical devices to market.

Route to Market Guide for Inventors – Pharmaceutical Products

The University of Cape Town provides a roadmap for best practices in taking new pharmaceutical drugs to market.

Technology Readiness Levels Table

This table describes Technology Readiness Level based on key developments for both Engineering and Software products.

Technology Transfer in South African Public Research Institutions

This chapter provides an analytical overview of technology transfer offices (TTOs) in South Africa by studying the current status of TTO’s, their return on investment, and their varying success.

Best Practice in Equity Stakes for University Spin-Outs

This analysis summarizes existing practices surrounding the division of equity stakes in spin-out companies from higher education institutions.

Technology Transfer and Innovation Management: A Handbook for Southern African Technology Transfer Offices

The Technology Transfer and Innovation Management handbook has been developed by the Southern African Research and Innovations Management Association (SARIMA) to provide a strategic approach to research and innovation management and promote collaborations, networking, and co-operations across Southern Africa.

Partnerships

 

Strengthening University-Industry Linkages in Africa: A Study on Institutional Capacities and Gaps

This study examined partnerships between industry and Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Africa, evaluating current structures, policies, positions, and funding and offering best practices to strengthen partnerships.

Perspective of Industry’s Engagement with African Universities

This report examined relationships between industry and universities in Africa and identified factors that facilitate or inhibit the strength of university-industry partnerships.

Templates & Examples

 

Research Policy of the University of the Western Cape

The following document is a Research Policy outline by the University of Western Cape specifically designed to foster and promote scientific research and development.