WESTERN Australian universities have responded to comments made by a leading venture capitalist that were highly critical of the commercialisation efforts of Australian universities.
Investment Capital CEO Michael Quinn last week said “universities do a terrible job with patents” and needed to initiate programs to better understand and address commercial requirements within their research systems.
However, University of WA Office of Industry and Innovation head Andy Sierakowski said the issues were complex and each of the State’s universities had a different model.
“This is a very complex cocktail we have and everyone has to understand where the other one is coming from, Dr Sierakowski said.
“There is a major change required across the whole spectrum of people involved in commercialisation.
“Commercialisation needs money and that is an area that has been underestimated.”
Murdoch University research and development division director Paul D’Sylva said Murdoch, like other WA universities, had a team of professionals dedicated to the university’s commercialisation efforts.
He said the WA Government could do more to help universities commercialise.
“There has been a lot of good commercial activities going on in WA’s universities, not because of the State Government, but despite it,” Dr D’Sylva said.
