!100794 A criteria list for assessing new inventions A list of criteria for assessing new invention ideas was recently posted to one of the technology transfer list servers. It is a useful list that you might want to consider using, prepared by some people at the University of British Columbia. Greg Aharonian Internet Patent News Service ==================== This is not meant to be used as a ranking process per se, although it certainly could be extended as a basis for doing so using an ROI rationale or some similar scheme. It should be enough to indicate that the technology has a good chance of finding a return on the patent costs, but of course a Go/No-Go threshold is usually adjusted in practice to allow for scarce resources. I wish to make perfectly clear that, despite all of the kind remarks I have received from you over the past week, I cannot take credit for this work. That honour belongs to David Jones, Manager of Prototype Development at UBC/UILO, who compiled it from a review of years of our best practice, with input from all of our professionals. We use it here as a benchmark to be sure we have not overlooked any important business deficit in our enthusiasm for a new technology, and often review it at our IP meetings when a patenting decision is needed. I am pleased to be able to share it with you, and David passes along his best wishes with it also. David will be off-line for a few weeks (literally and figuratively), so if you have any further questions, you may direct them to me, or write to David at dj@orsil.ubc.ca in September. If any of you wish a formatted copy via e-mailed BinHex (ASCII) enclosure, please write me directly and advise me which software and platform (Mac/PC) you prefer. Any comments or alternative checklists would be most welcome. ************************************************************************** UBC PRELIMINARY TECHNOLOGY SCREENING ASSESSMENT Compiled by David P. Jones, UILO File #: ______ Inventor: ______________ Date: _________ TTO ___________ Technology Description: BACKGROUND TESTS: No Yes Rating Low High 1-5 1. Patent search completed and clean ______ ______ ______ 2. Literature search completed and clean ______ ______ ______ 3. Invention remains confidential ______ ______ ______ 4. No publications pending ______ ______ ______ 5. No prior claims to the technology ______ ______ ______ 6. Technology protectable by patents ______ ______ ______ TECHNOLOGY TESTS: 1. Technology basis of a new industry or ______ ______ ______ company (major breakthrough) 2. Technology state of the art ______ ______ ______ 3. Easy to demonstrate technology ______ ______ ______ 4. Identifiable & significant benefits ______ ______ ______ 5. Functioning prototype ______ ______ ______ 6. Addition to existing UBC patents ______ ______ ______ 7. Long product cycle ______ ______ ______ MARKET TESTS: 1. Fills identifiable & marketable need ______ ______ ______ 2. Market sizable & growing ______ ______ ______ 3. Believable but indeterminate ______ ______ ______ large upside potential 4. Absence of direct competitive products ______ ______ ______ 5. Definable niche market ______ ______ ______ 6. Market accessible (no dominant technology) ______ ______ ______ 7. Technology has low dissonance ______ ______ ______ COMMERCIAL TESTS: 1. Result of industry funded research ______ ______ ______ 2. Prospective licensee identified (*) ______ ______ ______ 3. Improvements / cost reduction >20% ______ ______ ______ 4. Low financial risk ______ ______ ______ 5. Technology basis for a spinoff company ______ ______ ______ 6. Sustainable competitive advantage ______ ______ ______ 7. Conforms to relevant standards ______ ______ ______ MANAGEMENT TESTS: 1. Inventor technology champion ______ ______ ______ 2. Inventor has realistic expectations ______ ______ ______ 3. Inventor team player ______ ______ ______ What is the biggest concern/problem? What is the upside opportunity? Critical information missing? Estimated costs: Patenting $ Time: Estimated returns to UBC: $ Time span (yrs): * Prospective Licensee: RECOMMENDATION: Return to Inventor Return for Research Patent Application ************************************************************************** Mark Dowding UBC University-Industry Liaison Office Room IRC331, 2194 Health Sciences Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3 Tel:(604)822-2199 Fax:(604)822-8589