Building a successful Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO)

09:00 - 09:15    Course introduction

In this opening session the Course Directors outline what to expect from the days ahead and answer any queries.

09:15 - 10:45    Why do we need a knowledge transfer office?

The role of the KTO within the organisation

What would happen if we just left it to the market? If academics simply engaged with partners and developed outcomes?

This session shall use a case study to demonstrate how to respond to a head of department who argues that there is no need for the KTO and that the resources should be redistributed to their department to pay for better researchers.

Participants shall work together to explore the KT’s mandate and objectives: the tasks of the KTO, stakeholder expectations and management, and critical success factors

Trainer: Sean Fielding

10:45 - 11:15    Break

11:15 - 12:45    The organisational models for a KTO

Understand the different models for organising a KTO and the possible funding models. How does the model support the mandate and objectives of the KTO and how can they be improved? Explore the skills and staff profiles required to effectively run the office and, in groups, reflect upon the organisational models of the participants.

12:45 - 13:45    Lunch

13:45 - 15:00    Creating subsidiaries for commercial activities

Some semi-commercial activities can outgrow a department and, if they are to flourish, need to be structured as a separate subsidiary.

In this session we examine the pros and cons of creating ‘special purpose vehicles’ and how best to structure them.

Trainer: Jeff Skinner

15:00 - 15:30    Beyond your own KTO: which entrepreneurial ecosystem is needed to support your work?

How can you shape an ecosystem to make a real difference and enhance the performance and impact of your KTO?

This session examines organising your ecosystem: determining the players that need to be assembled such as: legal, financial, patent agents, marketing; sector specialists and more. How do you set the vision and goals, and deliver on them? 

Speaker: Martin Raditsch

15:30 - 16:00    Break

16:00 - 17:30    Peer mentor groups

Working in groups, participants shall identify, and then discuss, a challenge they are currently facing.

• What has gone wrong?
• What opportunities have been missed? 
• Has a particular group proved difficult to persuade?

This challenge shall become the participants focus throughout the course with the intention that they will have created a solution by the end.

17:30 - 17:45    Round-up day 1

What did we learn today?

19:45 - 22:00    Networking dinner

09:00 - 09:15    Introduction day 2

Now that we know what the TTO is, how is the TTO working? Is it effective and value for money? A consultant has been called in by the President to review the office. How can you defend yourself and come out stronger?

09:15 - 10:45    The KTO Strategy

What is your strategy and how do you want to spend your time? This session helps to critically examine the criteria for setting strategic priorities across your KTO, managing expectations, monitoring and reporting on the performance and outcomes of your KTO.

It shall explore what it takes to build a business plan and how to use a business plan to get additional budget/resources for your KTO.

Trainer: Sean Fielding

10:45 - 11:15    Break

11:15 - 12:30    Professionalising KT processes, policies and agreements

There are many areas of KT activities for which a clear policy, clear rules and regulations are required.

In this session, participants shall explore critical KT policies, processes, the agreements and reward mechanisms required to operate a professional KT Office. Participants are invited to share their operational practices to develop a minimum professional toolkit.

12:30 - 13:30    Lunch

13:30 - 14:30    Oiling the academic wheels

This session will explore how to help academics to take their ideas further by reducing the barriers to engagement. Short presentations on:

• Finding external partners : what is the role of the KTO in helping academics build good partnerships and what mechanisms work?
• Managing Proof of Concept (PoC) schemes: What are PoC schemes and how can they be effectively managed?
• Revolving funds and venture funding: what is needed, where and why: 
  • Pre Seed Funds
  • Seed Funds
  • Incubator Funds and Facilities
  • Accelerator Funds
  • Venture Capital 
  • Public Private Partnerships 
  • Funding

Trainers:  Martin Raditsch

14:30 - 15:00    Understanding your Finances and Value - Part 1

This session Includes the basics of balance sheets, profit and loss, EBIT/EBITDA and cash flow and mechanisms for valuing future cashflow.

Trainer: Florian Kirschenhofer

15:00 - 15:30    Break

15:30 - 16:30    Understanding your Finances and Value - Part 2

This session includes the key financial indicators that a KTO needs to be looking at to monitor (and prove) its success including the value of the pipeline and wider benefits to the organisation.

Trainer: Florian Kirschenhofer

16:30 - 17:45     Peer mentor groups

Participants work in groups on their chosen peer mentoring topic in order to present a solution by the end of the course.

17:30 - 17:45    Round-up day 2

What has been learned today?

09:00 - 09:45    Creating and supporting a motivated team

How can you grow a creative, resilient team of entrepreneurial leaders and keep them motivated through set-backs and the structural challenges that face KTOs?  What are the key mechanisms that can ensure retention and personal growth of staff?

Trainer: Sean Fielding

09:45 - 11:00    Marketing your KTO

A critical component of organising your KTO for growth and success is to convince your internal customers, partners, sponsors, and talent to join in with your mission. How can you create a culture of success? 

We shall discuss how to establish your brand with key audiences; how to build internal champions and how to increase the impact of your work and the recognition your office receives for it.

11:00 - 11:30    Break

11:30 - 12:45    The peer mentors showcase - responding to participants‘ challenges

Each group feeds back on the consultant’s solution to the problem brought by one of the group. Solutions shall be assessed by the course or a panel of directors.

12:45 - 13:00    Round up of day 3

13:00 - 14:00    Lunch and farewell