Where do you go from here?

In this book we have introduced the basic principles that relate to protecting your intellectual property and taking it to the market place. This has involved preparing yourself for negotiations, selecting partners and deciding upon the commercial direction to take, i.e. licensing, or directly via a start-up company. It is important that the reader realises the enormity of the tasks that face the budding entrepreneur in today's competitive environment, and both the government and the universities have a significant part to play in the evolution of these businesses. Consistent policies towards the protection of IP and the financial benefits that accrue therefrom, a more competitive attitude towards patent protection (cf. US policy) and an understanding of the criteria facing potential investors are all areas where improvements are possible. In addition, universities must realise the importance and necessity of professional project management principles in the technology transfer process. The days of the privileged minority nineteenth-century scientists beavering away in an isolated room in pursuit of their own greater glorification are long gone. The reality of twenty-first-century science is one of goal-orientated, cost-effective team based research and development. The enormity and complexity of many of the projects now facing us affords no other option if the UK is to assume a competitive position in biotechnology.