Brussels, 10/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 10 April, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities. Vice-President Günter Verheugen, Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, said: "European universities and other public research organisations need to engage more actively in the exploitation of publicly-funded research results”. In a press release his counterpart for research, Janez Potoènik, affirmed, “We cannot afford to let valuable inventions lie idle in laboratories or on bookshelves”. Member states are being called on to inform the Commission about the measures they have taken in July 2010 and then every two years afterwards, on the basis of the recommendation and impact of the measures.
The Commission recommends that member states ensure that Public Research Bodies (PRB) consider knowledge transfer as a strategic mission and that they set up an intellectual property management code of practice, together with the recommendation. Member states are expected to promote a broad distribution of knowledge developed through public funds, cooperate more between them in improving the coherency of their national systems that frame intellectual property and guarantee equal treatment of participants in international research projects, whether they are European or third country. The designation of national contact points will also help coordination of national management in knowledge transfer activities between PRB and the private sector. A "Code of Practice" for universities and other PROs, is offered, which lays out the operational principles in management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities. These principles involve three areas: internal policy of the bodies involved in intellectual property; knowledge transfer policy; collaborative research under contract. Link to the full text of the Recommendation: (http: //ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_en.pdf). (M.B.)