Role of Custom Software in Tech Transfer
by Kaj Gronholm
The Change
Tech transfer programs are undergoing rapid change across the country. As the internet and associated applications continue to evolve and create value, technology transfer departments are beginning to branch out from their normal licensing and patenting deals. They’re now seeing software applications, both web, and mobile, as real invention centers, and, even better, they’re seeing revenues grow as these applications are selling across the country.
Many inventions coming from Universities are now ideas and concepts that can best be delivered by a web or mobile application, or the invention requires a web or mobile application to create real value. Often, some internal staff (e.g. a graduate student) has built a prototype, but to bring the application to market, a production version is needed. The ideas are there in every University and now is the time for Tech Transfer groups to harness them and create value.
The Challenge
A major challenge that tech transfer departments face is that finding a Custom Software developer that understands how to communicate with your professors and other inventors can be difficult. The requirements can be complex, or the idea may not be fully thought through yet. Often, the concept is just an idea or group of ideas, and it’s not clear how this new invention will differentiate or be patentable. Sometimes the inventors believe there is great revenue potential, but to get there, the application will need to be made competitive. In order to gain acceptance in the marketplace, applications must be modern and easy to use. All of the above still has to take into consideration the limited budgets available to tech transfer departments. There are not enough funds to build every project, so a vetting of the real business potential of the application is needed.
Unless a software company has worked with these varied needs before and is familiar with the challenges and politics that can arise in the University setting, most projects will fail. Or even worse, go over budget and then fail. A custom software development company needs to be a true partner and understand these challenges.
Success With Woodridge
A success story can be found in the BIMAS-2 project that Woodridge built for Edumetrisis. This invention of three leading psychologists is transforming how K-12 schools do behavioral screening for their students. Read the case study to see how Woodridge worked with the BIMAS-2 team to successfully transition an invention from a university setting to market.
Our aim at Woodridge is to help combine the cornerstones of academic research and great custom software to help bring amazing technologies to market. We can work with your University’s researchers to develop software that will support the products and companies that they’re creating. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to turn your institution’s academic research into great technology products that help benefit everyone.