STCU Video Conference with Expert from Market Research Company -- Nerac

21 Apr 2010

STCU organized a training presentation for Chief Technology Commercialization Officers (CTCO), Institute Sustainability Program (ISP) representatives and high tech Ukrainian SME companies with a market research and analysis company from the US -- Nerac (www.nerac.com). STCU has worked with Nerac for several years on requesting market research and patent search information. Nerac works with companies and universities to provide them with approaches for licensing technology developments at universities. Their advice is important for universities to understand the commercial potential of any new invention that is submitted to the Tech Transfer Office of a university. Such information is also important for Ukrainian institutes and universities to understand the commercial potential of a new technology.

STCU funded 6 market researches by Nerac for Institutes involved in the STCU Institute Sustainability Program (ISP). The market research and analysis reports have provided the ISP institutes with a new window to see what the market potential is for a given technology, who the major players and competitors are in the technology marketplace, and for developing a possible licensing strategy or for starting business company.

Nerac suggested that they could provide some introductory training on how to use such market information for developing a patenting and licensing strategy, and also to determine if there is a sufficient market for possibly starting a company based on the institute’s technologies. Dr. Doug Naab, a business and technology analyst from Nerac, provided a presentation on licensing strategy for universities and scientific institutes. Because Doug was in the US, and our scientific representatives were in Kyiv, STCU organized a video conference event. Doug made his presentation where he and his slides were viewed at the STCU offices. The participants were able to interact with Doug in real-time and ask him questions throughout the presentation. Everyone found the topics presented valuable.

The mode of having this workshop was the first for STCU. We hope to use this method in the future.