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| SFU Office of Technology Management | |
|---|---|
| Name | SFU Office of Technology Management |
| Established | 2000s |
| Type | University technology transfer office |
| Location | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
| Parent institution | Simon Fraser University |
SFU Office of Technology Management is the technology transfer and intellectual property unit affiliated with Simon Fraser University. It acts as a nexus between academic research and industry, facilitating commercialization, licensing, and startup formation while managing patents and agreements. The office interacts with regional innovation ecosystems, national research organizations, and international partners to translate research into products and services.
The office traces its origins to expansion of research at Simon Fraser University during the 1990s and 2000s, influenced by collaborations with National Research Council (Canada), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and provincial initiatives such as BC Innovation Council and Mitacs. Early milestones included partnerships with Telus, BC Hydro, Vancouver Coastal Health, and linkages to technology clusters in Vancouver and Seattle. The office matured alongside commercialization efforts at peer institutions like University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, McGill University, and University of Waterloo, adopting policies informed by cases such as Bayh–Dole Act debates and the practices of Oxford University Innovation, Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technology Licensing Office.
The mandate emphasizes stewardship of inventions arising from faculty and student research to foster public benefit, economic development, and knowledge transfer consistent with agreements involving Canada Revenue Agency funding, contracts with Defence Research and Development Canada, and collaborations under frameworks like the Canada Foundation for Innovation. It aligns with institutional strategies endorsed by Board of Governors (Simon Fraser University), engages with Office of the Vice-President Research, and complies with policy precedents set by Canadian Intellectual Property Office and international accords such as the TRIPS Agreement.
The office reports administratively to the Vice-President Research and International and coordinates with units including Faculty of Applied Sciences, Beedie School of Business, Faculty of Science, and School of Computing Science. Staffing includes technology managers, patent counsel, licensing officers, business development leads, and commercialization advisors who liaise with external entities such as VentureLabs, BC Tech Association, Accel Partners, and regional incubators like SFU VentureLabs, Dockside Labs, and Wavefront Centre. Governance involves committees drawing members from Simon Fraser Student Society, SFU Faculty Association, and external advisors with backgrounds at Innovate UK, Enterprise Ireland, and Startup Canada.
Processes cover invention disclosure, assessment, patent prosecution, market analysis, and licensing—paralleling workflows at Universities UK member offices and influenced by reports from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Intellectual Property Organization, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The office supports startup creation through equity stewardship, term sheet negotiation, and coordination with investors such as BC Investment Management Corporation, Yaletown Partners, Borealis Ventures, and syndicates including AngelList and Y Combinator alumni networks. Commercialization activities intersect with translation programs like Mitacs Accelerate, NSERC Engage, and collaborations with health research partners such as Providence Health Care and BC Cancer Agency.
IP strategy encompasses patent filing with agents experienced in jurisdictions via United States Patent and Trademark Office, European Patent Office, and filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The office manages trademarks, copyright assignments, and material transfer agreements, coordinating with legal counsel familiar with cases from Supreme Court of Canada and policies from Canadian Intellectual Property Office. It balances academic publication priorities of authors in venues like Nature, Science (journal), IEEE, and ACM with protection timelines, and handles compliance for projects funded by agencies including Genome Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Health Canada.
Partnership development includes sponsored research agreements, collaborative research, and licensing deals with corporations such as Siemens, GE Healthcare, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Cisco Systems, SAP, Ballard Power Systems, and regional firms like Lululemon Athletica. Licensing models range from exclusive licenses to non-exclusive agreements, often structured with milestone payments, royalties, and performance clauses mirrored in templates used by Association of University Technology Managers and AUTM benchmarking. The office also negotiates material transfer agreements and data-sharing accords with hospital systems like Fraser Health Authority and multinational consortia including CEPI and Gavi.
Services include invention disclosure intake, commercialization coaching, patent funding navigation, startup incubation, and access to acceleration programs like Creative Destruction Lab, Launch Academy, and Techstars. It provides training in entrepreneurship alongside partners such as RADIUS SFU, SFU Surrey, SFU Innovation Office, BC Tech Co-operative, Women in Tech World, and student programs like SFU Innovate and SFU Entrepreneurship Society. The office facilitates access to funding instruments from Business Development Bank of Canada, Industrial Research Assistance Program, Pacific Bridge Medical, and venture capital firms including Real Ventures and Version One Ventures, and supports participation in conferences like Collision, SXSW, CES, and BIO International Convention.