Editorial: Moving beyond metaphors: University-industry collaboration in biotechnology
A PERCEIVED GAP There is enormous public interest in the role of universities as a primary source of new knowledge, new skills and new ideas for addressing many issues facing industrialised societies. In recognition of this, programmes to promote university–industry collaboration have expanded rapidly in recent years. Nevertheless, despite an abundance of such programmes and resources to facilitate the translation of technology from universities to industry, there often appear to be very significant disparities between the needs and requirements of industry and the university. A couple of recent quotes serve to illustrate this point:
Editorial: a strategy to optimise the business value of Intellectual Property
In this paper, we suggest that, although Intellectual Property (IP) is an intangible asset of a firm, it is now treated effectively as if it were a tangible product. It is also a strong determinant of the success of biotechnology firms, since it is assessed carefully by investors, potential partners and acquirers, who understand that the value of a biotechnology firm is ultimately related to the sophistication with which it operates in the IP arena. As such, we propose that a viable corporate strategy should be one that recognises IP as an activity, like research and development, as part of a value chain, and which can only create value in combination with other production factors. A well-defined, cohesive strategy should deliver a balanced and effective IP production process, to ensure that what is protected and leveraged by firms is of real business value and has the best chance of being licensed.
Initial Teacher Training: the French view
ABSTRACT This paper, against the background of trends in the development of initial teacher training in Europe as a whole, identifies and explains some of the recent, radical reforms which were introduced in France by a socialist government. These include the need to raise the status and the competence of the teaching profession; the creation of new teacher‐training institutions of university status (Instituts universitaires de formation des maitres); the introduction of common entry qualifications at degree level for both primary and secondary levels; the harmonisation and the extension to 2 years of the post‐degree teacher‐training course and the increase in emphasis placed on professional training, both theoretical and practical. These reforms provoked a storm of protest and an examination of the reasons for this reveals a multiplicity of crucial questions which have far‐reaching implications.