Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

The Chain Value Process and Knowledge Transfer in a
Bioengineering Case
Manel González-Piñero 1 , ElenaCano López 2 , Miguel Ángel Mañanas
Villanueva 1 , Juan Ramos Castro 1 and Pere Caminal Magrans 1
1
Biomedical Engineering Research Centre (CREB) <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Technical University
<strong>of</strong> Catalonia. Barcelona, Spain.
2
Technology Transfer Office, IPR Department <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Technical University <strong>of</strong>
Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
manel.gonzalez@upc.edu
elena.lopez-cano@upc.edu
miguel.angel.mananas@upc.edu
jramos@eel.upc.edu
pere.caminal@upc.edu
Abstract: This study highlights <strong>the</strong> complete management process <strong>of</strong> a bioengineering knowledge,
and how it follows all <strong>the</strong> steps <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Valorisation chain that contains <strong>the</strong> following five steps:
detection, selection, evaluation, protection and commercialization. In this process we show how
researchers, IP managers and business development managers work toge<strong>the</strong>r to achieve a common aim. The
knowledge selected to advance in <strong>the</strong> value chain before being transferred to <strong>the</strong> market is a
technology <strong>of</strong> a Bi<strong>of</strong>eedback equipment specifically for urinary incontinence. Bi<strong>of</strong>eedback instruments for <strong>the</strong>
treatment <strong>of</strong> urinary incontinence have <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> generating (and also recording for fur<strong>the</strong>r analysis) signals
directly related to <strong>the</strong> activity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pelvic floor muscles. Although a few instruments use <strong>the</strong> exerted pressure as
<strong>the</strong> measured signal, <strong>the</strong> most frequently employed signal is <strong>the</strong> electrical activity associated to <strong>the</strong> muscle
contractions or electromyogram (EMG). This Bi<strong>of</strong>eedback case developed in our University has followed a
methodology <strong>of</strong> Valorization in which <strong>the</strong> interaction between researchers, IP managers and business
development managers is significant to know <strong>the</strong> market requirements and to direct <strong>the</strong> research efforts towards
<strong>the</strong> market necessities; that is why <strong>the</strong> last step <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> design is a commercialization planning to explode <strong>the</strong>
technology. In this case, <strong>the</strong> goal is to find an industrialized partner interested in producing <strong>the</strong> clinical validated
prototype following all <strong>the</strong> EC regulations.
Keywords: Bioengineering, bi<strong>of</strong>eedback, marketing in higher education, technology transfer, knowledge transfer,
valorisation process
1. Introduction
Universities are involved in <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> innovation and knowledge through <strong>the</strong> participation in
research projects funded by <strong>the</strong> public sector. They have been involved in <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> innovation
through collaborative agreements with companies transferring, in most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cases, <strong>the</strong> intellectual
property rights to <strong>the</strong> companies.
That is why <strong>the</strong> University is an agent at <strong>the</strong> Triple Helix system, a model designed by Etzkowitz,
(2002) and Leydesdorff (2003), in which <strong>the</strong> knowledge management activities are basics and have to
be integrated into <strong>the</strong> business processes, due to <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong> knowledge created in <strong>the</strong> University
has <strong>the</strong> ambition to be pr<strong>of</strong>itable at <strong>the</strong> society. This <strong>the</strong>ory about innovation systems is based on
university-industry-government relations, and <strong>the</strong> generation <strong>of</strong> knowledge and its effective
application. So, how it can be possible <strong>the</strong> technology transfer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> technological opportunities
identified in <strong>the</strong> university? It could be possible through an effective commercial model defined in a
Valorisation Process.
In this case study, we would like to highlight all <strong>the</strong> management process <strong>of</strong> a bioengineering
knowledge, and how it has passed all <strong>the</strong> steps in <strong>the</strong> chain <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Valorisation Process that contains
<strong>the</strong> following five steps: detection, selection, evaluation, protection and commercialization.
The knowledge selected to advance in <strong>the</strong> value chain before being transferred to <strong>the</strong> market is a
technology <strong>of</strong> a Bi<strong>of</strong>eedback equipment specifically for urinary incontinence. It is placed in a female's
vagina or <strong>the</strong> anus <strong>of</strong> a male and connected to a computer or a portable home <strong>the</strong>rapy unit to give <strong>the</strong>
person a light signal, bar graph, or audible tone to show how <strong>the</strong> muscles <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pelvic floor are
contracting and relaxing. Surface electrodes can also be placed on <strong>the</strong> abdomen or <strong>the</strong> buttocks and
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