Title: Effects of Japan's past industry-academia collaboration reforms on university patent licensing income: the case of the University of Tokyo

Authors: Kazuhisa Shimmura; Shingo Kano

Addresses: Department of Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan ' Department of Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan

Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between university patent licensing income and patent application type, application quality, and licensing activities at the patent level, utilising the case of the University of Tokyo. We establish a novel database that links the biomedical patents of the University of Tokyo, covering the periods before and after the enactment of the technology transfer system in Japan, with the corresponding licensing information. Our results reveal that after implementing the system, the University of Tokyo created new joint patent applications with companies. The ratio of joint patent applications to total applications increased annually, accounting for approximately half of all patent applications. Additionally, the influencing factors affecting university patent licensing income include single patent applications, citation numbers, and performance-based contracts. Moreover, joint patent applications between universities and companies, which have increased, are not associated with higher licensing income, compared to university's single patent applications.

Keywords: industry-academia collaboration; patent licensing income; joint patent applications; patent application quality; licensing activities; biomedical patents; performance-based contract; Japan.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2023.136898

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2023 Vol.20 No.4, pp.429 - 450

Received: 18 Apr 2023
Accepted: 09 Nov 2023
Published online: 26 Feb 2024 *

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