Description:
This data set contains the responses of Offices of Technology Transfer (OTT) directors who participated in the IP & TT survey. This survey also contains a qualitative component.
Abstract:
This survey establishes baseline indicators required to track overall activity in Intellectual Property (IP) management and Technology Transfer (TT) at publicly funded research institutions in South Africa.
The study period starts in 2008, the year when the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act (IPR Act) was passed, and runs to 2014. The survey targeted all institutions as defined in the IPR Act, which are the 23 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the 10 Schedule 1 institutions or Science Councils (SCs).
Responding to the survey was voluntary. Third-party administrative data was also used in the study, both to enhance data and its quality and as a measure to reduce respondent burden. The survey results in this report represent seventy-three percent (73%) of the 33 publicly financed research institutions. International benchmarking data was referenced, where possible, to enhance the process of interpreting the findings.
The survey instrument was initially based on a similar survey in the United States of America (USA), which was undertaken by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM). An oversight committee consisting of members from SARIMA, NIPMO, DST and CeSTII was established to assist with adaptation of the instrument to the South African context. This process also involved piloting the instrument with several institutions that are at various stages of TTF maturity.
The following topics can be found in the questionnaire: Institution Details, Context of IP and Technology Transfer in SA, Capabilities and structures of the Technology Transfer Function (TTF), the activities of the TTF, IP Portfolio, IP Transaction and revenue, and start-up companies.
Administrative records
Email survey
Self-completion
Telephone interview
Web-based self-completion
The target population for the project were Government/public funded institutions.
All 33 units on the list of relevant units determined by the IPR Act were selected for inclusion in the survey.
Of the 33 units, 24 answered a sufficient number of questions to be considered as unit responses, which yielded a 72.7% survey response rate. The nine units that did not respond comprised: four units that did not respond at all; and five units that only answered the initial biographical information of the respondent.
Therefore, the items selected for the body of this report reflect data from a maximum of 24 institutions (17 HEIs and 7 SCs), which answered the questions partially and fully.
