Co-operative Intellectual Property Management and Technology Transfer for the Australian Biotechnology Industry

Australia has world-class strengths in biotechnology research, but our industry is small and depends on access to intellectual property (IP) held by foreign owners. To survive in a highly competitive global marketplace, Australian institutions must find ways to co-operate with one another. Current approaches to IP management did not evolve in Australian conditions and are not designed to promote co-operation. In this project, we develop and refine two new co-operative models of IP management, the IP clearinghouse and open source models, and assess their viability in the context of the Australian biotechnology industry. The research breaks new theoretical ground and will lead to practical recommendations for industry and policymakers.