The commercialization pathway at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ follows the following six steps
For ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ community members interested in commercialization, reaching out to Queen’s representatives is a recommended first step. Chatting early in the process is always best, as this allows for the identification of a commercialization scenario/pathway.
For the commercialization of technologies arising from research at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, please contact ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Partnerships and Innovation . Queen’s community members interested in entrepreneurship and with startup ideas or technologies developed outside of research conducted at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, may contact the Dunin Deshpande ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Innovation Centre , , or Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation for assistance. Representatives from these offices can direct innovators to the appropriate resources at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥.
For the commercialization of research and technologies via patents, it should be noted that public disclosures prior to filing a patent application can significantly limit the ability for obtaining patent protection. See the Disclosure section for details on submitting an invention disclosure.
For inventions arising from research conducted at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, the first formal step of commercialization is the completion and submission of an invention disclosure form. This form requires and guides inventors to outline the scope and status of an invention, and to provide information related to the source of funds used to generate the invention, recent publications, and any sponsored research agreements. This form, once completed, helps ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ staff evaluate the innovation/invention. Shortly after receipt of an invention disclosure, someone from ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Partnerships and Innovation will reach out to set-up a meeting to learn more about the invention and next steps in the review process.
¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ staff will complete an evaluation of the invention related to the potential for protecting the invention (e.g., patentability), market potential (e.g., industry problem solved by the invention), development costs/timelines, and the competitive landscape (e.g., similar technologies in the marketplace).
After completing an assessment, ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Partnerships and Innovation may extend an offer to support commercialization of an invention.
If a group of inventors is interested in support from Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation for protecting the intellectual property and commercializing an invention, an Intellectual Property Agreement is put in place between the Inventors and the university. Template version of an Intellectual Property Agreement .
¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Inventors share net proceeds from commercialization activities 50:50 after the deduction of any costs associated with seeking patent protection.
After signing an Intellectual Property Agreement, the Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation team develops plans to potentially draft and file a patent application.
Typically, at the time of filing a patent application, the inventors will be asked to assign the invention to the university. A Partnership Development Officer will develop a commercialization plan for each technology (e.g., marketing the technology to industry or consider forming a new startup). Each technology is posted on the . It should be noted that some inventions (e.g., software or AI training algorithms) may be commercialized without seeking patent protection.
The ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Partnerships and Innovation team leads the negotiation and drafting of out-licensing agreements with third-parties (e.g., industry or a startup) with an interest in commercializing an invention from ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥.
These license agreements typically include down-stream terms that share any commercialization proceeds - such as a royalty on the sales of products and services.