Technology transfer is a highly collaborative and mutually beneficial process. It allows a) private firms to take advantage of academic expertise and publicly funded research; b) post-secondary institutions (PSIs) to generate revenues and disseminate new knowledge; and c) consumers to access new products and services. While PSIs have increased technology transfer activities since 1998, there are still many opportunities for improvement.

Current indicators and surveying methodologies do not provide stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of technology transfer. Parties that might be inclined to engage in technology transfer activities may also lack the information necessary to identify and assess opportunities to do so. Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs lack the resources and time to engage in technology transfer. The lack of uniform intellectual property (IP) licensing practices at PSIs can also constitute an obstacle to technology transfer.

The goal of technology transfer policy should not only be to commercialize academic intellectual property, but also to build the innovative capacities of PSIs, SMEs and entrepreneurs by facilitating collaborative ventures. The aim is to have a significant, positive impact on the Canadian economy. To that end, the Committee recommends, notably, that the Government of Canada (1) require Statistics Canada to launch an annual survey on technology transfer; (2) collaborate with stakeholders to create a ‘toolkit’ of flexible IP licensing practices; and (3) investigate new ways to support Canadian enterprises engaging in technology transfer with PSIs.