Evaluating your Innovation

After you contact UW TechTransfer regarding your innovation, you will be contacted by a technology manager to set up an initial meeting.

Initial meeting
We use the initial meeting to get a better understanding of the work you are doing so we can assess the scope of work being conducted and to identify an appropriate approach to meeting your needs. 

Topics and typical questions
Every conversation is different, but the topics listed below will give you an idea of the areas we will want to cover in our initial meeting with you:

Technical and scientific merits of the innovation

• Is supporting or clinical data available?
• Is this a core technology for your discipline or an improvement on an existing innovation?
• What is the stage of development of the innovation?  Is this only a concept or is a prototype available?
• Is it distributable “as is”?

Your research team

• Does your team have active plans to continue working on projects related to the innovation? 
• Are you able to offer background information or technical assistance to potential licensees of your innovation?
• Will you or your lab have resources to send copies of the innovation to licensees?
• Are you or your team available to consult on the innovation?

Rights to the innovation

• Will the University have clear title to the rights to the innovation?

Obligations to other parties

• Are there contractual arrangements and any third party materials used in the innovation or proposed for use in the innovation?
• Will obligations to others limit UW's licensing or distribution opportunities, copyright or pursuing a patent?

Pathways for external access and/or commercialization

• Do you want to offer no-fee licenses to academics?
• Do you see this as best licensed to industry for or offered to end-users?
• Can this innovation be bundled with existing technologies?

Startup potential

• Are you (or members of your research team) interested in founding a company?

Industry contacts

• Have you been contacted by possible licensees interested in the innovation?
• Are you interested in pursuing the opportunities offered by the companies who have contacted you?
• Have you been asked to sign confidentiality /non-disclosure documents?

Future development plans

• Do you have plans for additional elements or modules for the innovation?
• Is this the first of several offering you have planned?
• What is the timing for the new offerings?