Date: 20 July 2023 (Thu) 

Time: 9:30-10:30am (HKT)

Venue: Zoom

Speaker: Ms. Lita Nelsen, Former Director of MIT Technology Licensing Office

Register Now: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=89011

(Zoom link will be sent to registrants prior to the webinar)

Abstract

Collaborations between the University and the community is crucial in fostering societal, economic, and industrial development and to inform the research process through a better understanding of industry’s needs.  This seminar discusses a two-tiered model for such collaborations and the need for explicit policies to preserve fundamental academic principles while serving the needs of small and large companies.  The two tiers of “Fundamental Research” and “In-University Consulting” involve different levels of students, different patent policies and clear, simple rules governing each—and consistently enforced. Procedures and contrasts in UK and US universities are discussed.

About Lita Nelsen

Lita Nelsen served in the Technology Licensing Office of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 3 decades, 25 years of which as director of the office. Throughout the period, the MIT TLO has licensed over 500 startup companies based on MIT research technology. She is the author of various articles and book chapters on technology transfer. During her tenure at MIT TLO, she has been invited to lecture and consult in tech transfer and university-based entrepreneurship in over 20 countries. She was also a co-founder of Praxis (now Praxis-Auril), a UK non-profit-making company for training tech transfer professionals, which earned her the title of a Member of the British Empire (MBE). Having retired from MIT, Lita is now a consultant on university licensing technology for young startups. She volunteers as a mentor in the MIT Sandbox Program, mentoring undergraduate students on kick-starting companies.