Sharing knowledge with society is a primary goal of the University of Alberta.  In some instances, the knowledge created through research is not easily transferred from academia to the broader community. 

Technology transfer -- also called technology commercialization -- is sometimes the best method for bringing knowledge to the wider community because the potential for economic returns in the marketplace may be the only way to help fund costly technology development.  We have two main programs to assist:

• The Technology Transfer Program helps U of A researchers bring inventions to the marketplace through technology evaluation, protection of intellectual property (IP), and licensing technology to industry. This office receives and records all Reports of Invention for University of Alberta.  This team also helps manage Material Transfer Agreements (MTA) and Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDA).
• The JumpStart Company Development Program supports researchers considering creating a company based on the results of research at the U of A.

For details and contacts for these services, visit our Services section.