Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many countries recognise the importance of realising economic growth through the exploitation of research outputs culminating from publicly financed institutions. At the forefront of these countries is the United States of America which has seen increased commercialisation efforts made by its universities since the passing of its Intellectual Property (IP) legislation, the Bayh-Dole Act in the 1980s. The Act assigned IP rights to public institutions. Most countries have since followed suit and SA is likewise in the process of adopting similar legislation, namely the Intellectual Property Rights Bill (IPR Bill).
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), which is responsible for growing the knowledge base of the country, guided by the National R&D Strategy adopted in 2002, has developed a framework for IP rights emanating from publicly financed research. This will form the basis for IPR legislation, which is currently under review by Parliament. The legislation is similar to that adopted in the USA, with due consideration for local content. It also assigns IP rights emanating from publicly financed research to the recipient entities, that is, public institutions and small businesses. The legislation aims to stimulate inter alia a culture of patenting by public institutions. This has the potential to increase the commercialisation of these research outputs, as evidenced in other countries.
The abovementioned legislation refers to the establishment of a national agency, the National IP Management Office (NIPMO), which will have the responsibility of undertaking the administrative function set out in the legislation. This paper investigates a business model, as well as an institutional framework for NIPMO, taking into account the challenges of IP management in SA and abroad.
Desktop research was carried out for a better understanding of the status quo in the IP management landscape, both locally and abroad. This was followed by primary research by means of interviews in order to gain insight into the nature of local IP management offices, the challenges they are faced with and also the expectations of the planned National IP Management Office.
The literature survey indicated that many countries have come to realise the importance of developing their economies through exploitation of publicly financed research outputs. Most countries have since adopted IPR legislation to enable public research institutions to manage their IP, and commercialise their research outputs. There are still challenges faced by this system, which are similar across countries. These range from the financing required for the management and running of these office, limited capacity, and also traditional mindsets of researchers in putting greater value on publications than on patents.
Exploiting the information gathered, an environmental analysis in the form of SWOT and stakeholder analyses was carried out, which culminated in the development of a business model and a governance model.
Some of the key recommendations that have been made in this study include the following: NIPMO should follow the proposed business model which outlines the different number of expertise and services that should be provided to ensure the sustainable administering of the IPR legislation. In order to be able to provide a much needed service and be accessible to the institutional technology transfer offices (TTOs), NIPMO should set up provincial offices to better assist the under-capacitated TTOs, as well as institutions without TTOs.
As skills are being developed in the area of IP Management, it should be considered to roll-out these regional offices incrementally, starting with areas that are in most need of these services, namely Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. NIPMO should play a major role in monitoring and evaluating the implementation and the impact of the new legislation on the innovativeness of the country’s research environment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Baie lande besef die belangrikheid van die verwesenliking van ekonomiese groei deur die benutting van navorsingsuitsette wat van staatsgefinansierde instellings afkomstig is. Die Verenigde State van Amerika (VSA) is aan die voorpunt van hierdie lande, met toenemende kommersialisering deur hierdie land se universiteite sedert die wetgewing oor Intellektuele Eiendom (IE) by wyse van die Bayh-Dole-wet in die 1980’s goedgekeur is. Hierdie wet het IE-regte aan regeringsinstellings toegeken. Die meeste lande het hierdie voorbeeld gevolg, en ook Suid-Afrika is tans besig om soortgelyke wetgewing goed te keur, naamlik die Wetsontwerp op Intellektuele Eiendomsregte (IER-wetsontwerp).
Die Departement van Wetenskap en Tegnologie (DWT), wat verantwoordelik is vir die uitbreiding van die land se kennisbasis en deur die Nasionale Navorsings- en Ontwikkelingstrategie wat in 2002 goedgekeur is, gerig word, het ’n raamwerk vir IE-regte wat uit staatsgefinansierde navorsing afkomstig is, ontwikkel. Dít sal die grondslag vorm van IER-wetgewing en die IER-wetsontwerp, wat tans deur die Parlement in hersiening geneem word. Die wetgewing stem ooreen met dít wat in die VSA goedgekeur is, en skenk behoorlike oorweging aan plaaslike inhoud. Dit ken ook IE-regte wat uit staatsgefinansierde navorsing afkomstig is, aan die ontvangerentiteite, naamlik staatsinstellings en klein besighede, toe. Die wetgewing is daarop gemik om onder andere ’n kultuur van patentering deur staatsinstellings te stimuleer. Dit bied die moontlikheid van verhoogde kommersialisering van hierdie navorsingsuitsette, soos in ander lande aangetoon.
Die bogenoemde wetgewing verwys na die stigting van ’n nasionale agentskap, die Nasionale IE-bestuurskantoor (NIMPO), wat daarvoor verantwoordelik sal wees om die administratiewe funksie, soos in die wetgewing gestipuleer, uit te voer. Hierdie tesis ondersoek ’n sakemodel asook ’n institusionele raamwerk vir NIPMO, wat die uitdagings van IE-bestuur in Suid-Afrika en in die buiteland in aanmerking neem.
Literatuur oor die onderwerp is ondersoek om beter begrip van die status quo in die terrein van IE-bestuur, sowel plaaslik as in die buiteland, te verkry. Hierna het primêre navorsing deur middel van onderhoude gevolg, ten einde insig in die aard van plaaslike IE-bestuurskantore, die uitdagings waarvoor hulle te staan kom en ook die verwagtinge van die beplande NIMPO te verkry.
Die literatuuroorsig het getoon dat baie lande die belangrikheid van die ontwikkeling van hul ekonomieë deur die benutting van staatsgefinansierde navorsingsuitsette besef. Die meeste lande het intussen IER-wetgewing goedgekeur ten einde staatsnavorsingsinstellings in staat te stel om hul IE te bestuur, en om hul navorsingsuitsette te kommersialiseer. Hierdie stelsel kom steeds voor uitdagings te staan, soos ook die geval in ander lande. Hierdie uitdagings wissel van die finansiering wat nodig is vir die bestuur en werking van hierdie kantore en beperkte kapasiteit tot ’n tradisionele ingesteldheid van navorsers om groter waarde op publikasies as op patente te plaas.
Op grond van die inligting wat ingesamel is, is ’n omgewingsontleding in die vorm van SWOT- en belanghebberontledings uitgevoer, wat tot die ontwikkeling van ’n sake- en ’n beheermodel gelei het.
Op grond van die ontledings is belangrike aanbevelings gemaak, wat die volgende insluit: NIPMO moet die voorgestelde sakemodel volg, wat die hoeveelheid kundigheid en dienste stipuleer wat nodig is om die volhoubare uitvoering van die IER-wetgewing te verseker. Ten einde in staat te wees om ’n uiters noodsaaklike diens te verskaf en vir die institusionele tegnologie-oordragkantore (TOK’s) toeganklik te wees, moet NIPMO provinsiale kantore stig om TOK’s met ’n lae kapasiteit asook instellings sonder TOK’s beter te kan bystaan. Aangesien vaardighede in die veld van EI-bestuur nog ontwikkel word, moet oorweging daaraan geskenk word om hierdie streekskantore toenemend van stapel te laat loop deur te begin by gebiede wat hierdie dienste die nodigste het, soos Kwa-Zulu Natal en die Oos-Kaap. NIPMO moet ’n belangrike rol in die monitering en evaluering van die implementering en die impak van die nuwe wetgewing op die vernuwende aard van die land se navorsingsomgewing speel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/974 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Sifunda, Pindiwe |
| Contributors | Malan, Daniël, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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