Supporting Innovation: How Incentives Drive Technology Transfer for Global Health – Part 2

In the first part of this two-part web story, we detailed the development of the Gardasil® HPV vaccine as a significant achievement driven by financial and non-financial incentives. Financial incentives included research funding and intellectual property (IP) management support, while non-financial incentives recognized researchers’ achievements through awards and honors. These incentives motivated researchers to collaborate, innovate, and commercialize their research. In this second part of the two-part series, we will look at the role of financial and non-financial incentives, and the role WIPO plays in driving technology transfer for Global Health.  

The WIPO guide on Incentives in Technology Transfer provides valuable insights and practical tools to help universities design and implement successful incentive programs. By understanding and addressing the motivations and barriers faced by researchers, institutions can foster a culture of innovation, leading to greater commercialization of research and ultimately benefiting society.

The Role of Incentives in the Development of Gardasil

The development and commercialization of the Gardasil® vaccine involved several financial and non-financial incentives.

Financial incentives

Research funding: Funding from various sources, including government grants like those from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, supported Professor Frazer’s research from 1986 to 2022. These funds were critical for the extensive clinical trials and research needed to bring the vaccine to market.

Support in IP Management and Commercialization: UniQuest’s expertise in IP protection, licensing and commercial negotiation was instrumental in advancing the Gardasil® vaccine from the lab bench to a market-ready product. By filing the initial patent applications for the VLP technology in 1991, UniQuest ensured the innovation was protected, providing a solid legal foundation for further licensing to CSL Limited.

CSL Limited later granted a royalty-bearing sub-license to Merck & Co., showcasing how IP rights can authorize access to innovations through licensing and technology transfer. Through rigorous IP protection, strategic licensing, and commercialization efforts, UniQuest not only elevated UQ’s research to international prominence but also generated significant economic rewards via revenue-sharing agreements. Most importantly, these efforts have made a meaningful contribution to advancing the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination, which aims by 2030 to fully vaccinate 90% of girls worldwide with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15.

Non-financial incentives

Awards and honors: Professor Frazer was named the 2006 Australian of the Year and both Professor Frazer and Dr. Zhou received the Popular Prize at the European Inventor Award 2015 presented by the European Patent Office (EPO). Additionally, Dr. Harald zur Hausen won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery that HPV could cause cervical cancer.

Awards not only celebrate individual and team achievements but also attract further investment and top-tier research talent, thus ensuring a continuous influx of expertise.

The Gardasil® story exemplifies how well-structured incentives for researchers drive successful technology transfer. Both financial and non-financial incentives played a crucial role, facilitating initial research and commercialization while also ensuring ongoing innovation and collaboration. This dual achievement of financial success and public health improvement underscores the critical role of supporting researchers with the necessary tools to leverage scientific knowledge and IP, transforming innovative ideas into successful businesses and impactful health solutions.

No One-Size-Fits-All Approach in Providing Incentives to Researchers in Technology Transfer

Incentives should match the goals and values of the people they are meant for and be tailored to the nature of the ecosystem in which they operate.

In some innovation ecosystems, universities have the resources and networks required to leverage external actors, such as early-stage investment firms and business advisors, to support activities like spinout formation, allowing universities to focus on other activities.

Conversely, in other ecosystems, universities must adopt a more hands-on approach, supporting academic inventors through all stages of company formation, development and investment. This support can include: granting access to university facilities for R&D and offering legal services to assist with incorporation.

The incentives discussed pave the way for other crucial activities. For example, provision of specialized patent education and support demystifies the IP protection application processes and highlights the benefits of securing IP rights. In addition, comprehensive IP due diligence services help researchers understand the patentability, ownership and market potential of their inventions, encouraging commercialization. Additionally, offering direct assistance with specific IP protection activities such as patent filing, including financial support for filing fees, can significantly reduce barriers for researchers to ensure their inventions are adequately protected.

Collaboration among various stakeholders—governments, the private sector and academia—is essential in creating a supportive environment for technology transfer. This collective effort helps researchers feel appreciated and driven to engage in technology transfer activities, resulting in substantial societal and economic benefits that advance global health.

WIPO’s Work on Incentives to Encourage, Recognize and Reward Researchers Professionals.

WIPO’s IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector recently released the ‘Incentives in Technology Transfer: A Guide on How to Encourage, Recognize, and Reward Researchers and Professionals’. This guide provides recommendations and best practices aimed at motivating academic researchers and technology transfer professionals (TTPs) to actively participate in technology transfer activities, leading to research commercialization.

The comprehensive guide identifies key challenges and opportunities in technology transfer. It analyzes the motivations and barriers that researchers face, while exploring the broader impact of technology transfer on industries, economies and societies. By addressing common pitfalls of incentive programs, such as the risk of transforming academic researchers into purely commercial outcome-focused business people, this resource aims to ensure that the intrinsic value of curiosity-driven research is preserved.

In addition, the guide offers practical tools such as:

• A comprehensive, step-by-step action plan to facilitate the initial planning process.
• A framework designed to help universities select the ideal mix of incentives that can be tailored to the unique needs of each institution.
• A questionnaire for universities to gather data from students, faculty and staff regarding their motivation, satisfaction levels and priorities related to research and technology transfer.
• Examples of successful incentive programs from universities around the world, offering a wealth of knowledge and best practices for institutions looking to enhance their technology transfer activities.

Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Impact

Just as the development and commercialization of the HPV vaccine was pivotal in the fight against cervical cancer, effective incentives for researchers can pave the way for innovations in other areas to make a significant impact on global health. These incentives also drive substantial economic growth by creating new industries and job opportunities.

WIPO continues to empower universities, research institutions and innovators with the tools and resources needed to commercialize their intellectual property. This support helps bridge the gap between scientific breakthroughs and their practical applications, ensuring that innovations in health reach those who need them most.