Roles of Universities in Technology Transfer CENG 109 Class 23
Today s agenda The formation and sustaining of biotechnology clusters in USA Roles of universities for the growth of biotechnology cluster in Massachusetts In particular, we look at MIT and Boston as an example
Major biotechnology clusters in US Major biotechnology clusters in US The Boston/Cambridge area of Massachusetts The San Francisco Bay area of Northern California The San Diego/ La Jolla area of Southern California
San Diego County Companies: 400 Biotech companies with 100+ employees: 31 Market capitalization: Research institutions: UC San Diego, Salk Institute, Scripps Research Institute, Burnham Institute, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, The Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology National Institutes of Health funding: Biotech patents issued from 1975-1999: 1,865 Venture investments from 1995-2001: Slide credit: Panetta J., Biocom $681 million $1.506 billion $24.7 billion
San Francisco Bay Area Companies: 152 Biotech companies with 100+ employees: 46 Market capitalization: $82.7 billion Research institutions: Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, UC Davis, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory National Institutes of Health funding: $704 million Biotech patents issued from 1975-1999: 5,578 Venture investments from 1995-2001: $3.029 billion Slide credit: Panetta J., Biocom
Boston Metro Area Companies: 141 Biotech companies with 100+ employees: 33 Market capitalization: Research institutions: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, University of Massachusetts, Whitehead Institute, Forsyth Institute National Institutes of Health funding: Biotech patents issued from 1975-1999: 3,725 Venture investments from 1995-2001: $1,423 million $1.916 billion $52.7 billion Slide credit: Panetta J., Biocom
Beantown, Genetown
Academic ties are strong in all major biotechnology clusters Hybritech and UCSD Stanford /UC and Genentech Momenta And MIT
Biotech creates jobs and boosts economy Biotech generates massive business activity in Accounting, Legal, Marketing, Business Services Government - Regulatory, planning Real Estate, Education, Everything else Each life science employee generates six other jobs 1000 s of employees, billions of $ of infrastructure Mid to upper level middle-class, white collar demographics Huge thrust to increase biotech to enlarge tax base Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Malaysia, Europe, etc. 41 states in U.S. Nearly every major city with a university Slide credit: Panetta J., Biocom
The role of universities and research institutions in Massachusetts biotechnology cluster Reference: Nelsen, L.L. Journal of Commercial Biotechnology. 11(4):330-336, 2005
The beginning of the supply chain Basic research leads to new discovery New platform technologies for biotechnology companies E.g. Momenta, Alnylam. In US, basic research in biomedicine is mostly funded by the government through NIH (National Institute of Health), with a research grant budget of $21bn in 2003 About 10% of this budget goes to Massachusetts Research grants also train scientists and engineers on the new technology
High concentration of world-class universities and research institutions There are more than 100 universities in the Boston area. There are also a large number of research institutions and research hospitals.
Human capital Massachusetts is importing company founders as a result of MIT BankBoston Study, 1997 Top universities select students based on both academic qualities and leadership skills Students receive training in solid technical fundamentals, participate in leading-edge research, and are inspired by role models in entrepreneurship 50K contest : MIT has further cultivated the entrepreneurship spirit with a student business plan contest
Patents and Technology Transfer Intellectual property is an important asset to a biotechnology company. Since 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act in US has accelerated the technology licensing from universities. 2002 statistics: 4300 tech transfer from US universities/research institutes => 400 new entrepreneurial companies founded Bayh-Dole Act allows universities to own patents from govt. funded research The act is intended to boost economic development --- enabled universities to attract funding to commercialize research Under this act, universities can support the technology transfer process. There are also financial incentives to technology inventors
Patents and Technology Transfer MIT: grant 80 100 technology licenses per year about 10 new biotechnology companies per year 2004 MIT statistics: 510 technology disclosure 159 US patents issued 94 licenses and options granted 20 companies founded around MIT IP Sampling of biotech companies formed out of MIT since 1998 Akceli: drug discovery arrays Alnylam: sirna therapeutics Advanced inhalation research: aerosol delivery of drugs Matritech: bladder cancer detection MnemoSciences: shape memory polymers For medical devices Microbia: antifungal drug discovery Momenta: polysaccharide drugs Ribocept: anti-rna drugs Cardium: chloresterol transport therapeutics Sirena: anti-alzheimer s drugs Microchips: chip-based drug delivery Galenea: anti-schizophrenic drugs
The entrepreneurial community MIT is surrounded by an entrepreneurial community in Cambridge/Boston Seasoned executives, lawyers, accountants, consultants, real estate managers, investors Knowledgeable money helps fund and guide a start-up Venture capital funds specialize in biotechnology start-ups
Self-Feeding Cluster Research universities promote the convergence of science, talents, money and local infrastructure for the formation and sustaining of a biotechnology cluster. E.g. Boston Genetown Biotech cluster self-sustains through: Role models Management/founders Retention of new graduates Infrastructure support Technology transfer from universities Angel investors and venture capital