Glasgow University offers free intellectual property

’One of the core missions of the university is the creation, advancement and sharing of knowledge and we aim to transfer as much IP into commercial use as we can, to the benefit of our partners, the community and the economy. Our objective is to demonstrate the relevance, importance and impact of Glasgow’s research and to help UK companies maximise their competitive edge internationally,’ said Glasgow University principal Anton Muscatelli.

While a small proportion of high-value IP will still be made available to industry through traditional licensing and spin-out companies alone, the university believes that offering the bulk of IP to a larger audience for free will add value to the UK economy.

The IP is expected to be attractive to small and medium-sized businesses, and it is anticipated that the initiative will lead to further collaboration with companies and long-term industry partnerships.

Prof David Delpy, chief executive of the EPSRC, said: ’We welcome Glasgow University’s new approach to IP management and encourage other research organisations to consider innovative and appropriate ways of managing intellectual assets - including recognising circumstances where free access might be the most effective approach.’