BARGLIK, Jerzy & SOSNOWSKI, Remigiusz
Silesian University of Technology, 40-019 Katowice, ul. Krasinskiego 8, barglik@polsl.katowice.pl
Abstract: The paper summarises and assesses the measures undertaken by the Silesian University of Technology towards technology transfer.
As one of the biggest technical universities in Poland, situated in the highly industrialised (and environmentally degraded) region of Upper Silesia, SUT, for obvious reasons, places a lot of importance on a proper, well-organised and mutually beneficial co-operation with industry. Technology transfer constitutes an essential element of this co-operation. The University has published a catalogue of technologies that may be implemented with the help of its experts. Recently, it has put it on the Internet. By taking advantage of American and European experience, the University is going to establish a professional Technology Transfer Centre. It is currently preparing for the establishment of a technological park in Gliwice, closely linked to the University and incorporated into its campus. The planned goal of the park will be to promote small and medium-sized innovative enterprises, particularly those that deal with advanced technologies and with the protection of the environment.
Keywords: Technology transfer, Research, Collaboration with industry.
The Silesian University of Technology, one of the biggest Polish technical universities, is situated in Upper Silesia, an old, highly urbanised industrial region, lying very close to the border with the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the south. The University headquarters are located in Gliwice, with nine of the eleven faculties. Three smaller campuses have been placed in Katowice, the capital of the Silesian Voivodship, in Zabrze and in Rybnik.
The region covers only 2.1% of Poland's territory. 4 million people (10% of the country’s total population) live on that relatively small area. Many important plants representing all branches of heavy industry are concentrated there (coal mines, metallurgical plants, non-ferrous metals plants, coal-fired heat and power plants, chemical plants, etc.). The area produces about 20% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The fast development of industry in Upper Silesia started at the end of the 19th century and has had disastrous effects on the natural environment in the area. The fact that over 50% of Poland's solid production wastes are concentrated in Upper Silesia cannot be neglected: coal dumps form the most characteristic sight in the region.
Thus it is especially important to support restructuring processes in industry in the region. The necessity for that is evident: meeting the requirements of the market economy, which enforces continuous increase in production efficiency and lowering of production costs. Various branches of the economy have to be restructured because of that necessity. The process proves to be especially complex in the case of heavy industry in those areas where the concentration of industry is high. The restructuring is very difficult because of its vast range and long duration, as well as for its social and ecological consequences.
. The Silesian University of Technology puts special emphasis on collaboration with industry and on technology transfer. There are two main tasks in that area:
The paper presents the efforts made by the University in the area of technology transfer. The current status of technology transfer in the University has been described. The most important results of the collaboration with industry (research, implementations, patents, licenses, industrial projects co-financed by the Committee for Scientific Research) have been presented. The University is going to organise a Technology Transfer Centre, which will play a leading role in the process in the future. The University is strongly interested in the organisation of a technology park situated within the main University campus in Gliwice.
The Silesian University of Technology has always co-operated very closely with industry, especially with big enterprises located in the region. University research teams have prepared a lot of modern technologies used there. After 1989, when Polish economy changed from state owned and centralised into market economy, the number of research papers, expert analyses and other tasks commissioned by industry has decreased rapidly. Due to the restructuring and privatisation processes a lot of small and medium-sized enterprises have appeared on the market. Despite a need for innovative technologies, companies (especially SME’s) do not have enough money to cover the costs of research. In 1997, 424 research papers, 256 expert analyses, 67 implementations and 25 industrial projects co-financed by the Committee for Scientific Research were completed. The total value of the completed tasks: 10,563,147 PLN. The full balance sheet divided into particular faculties has been presented in Table 1. It is clearly visible that there were three most active faculties in the area of research: Civil Engineering (92), Power and Environmental Engineering (83), Mining and Geology (74). These three faculties have altogether completed over 50 % of all university research tasks. In the group of expert analyses there are two leading faculties: Materials Science, Metallurgy and Transport (81) and again Civil Engineering (62). There was only one leading faculty in the area of implementations and industrial projects: the Faculty of Materials Science, Metallurgy and Transport, which completed 28 implementations (41,8 %) and 11 projects co-financed by the Committee for Scientific Research (44%). Low activity of those faculties was noticeable which should be potential sources of new innovative technologies. What it probably means is a direct collaboration between the professors and industry. In 1998 the total number of 435 research tasks, 251 expert analyses, 63 implementations and 22 industrial projects co-financed by Committee for Scientific Research were realised. The total value: 10,163,825 PLN. The full balance sheet with the division into faculties has been shown in Table 2.
Table 1
Tasks for industry completed in the faculties of the Silesian University of Technology in 1997
|
Faculty |
Research tasks |
Expert analyses |
Implementations |
Industrial projects co-financed by CSR |
Value PLN1 |
|
Architecture |
4 |
8 |
- |
- |
268,425 |
|
Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science |
1 |
10 |
5 |
3 |
229,211 |
|
Civil Engineering |
92 |
62 |
1 |
- |
2,117,690 |
|
Chemistry |
35 |
37 |
8 |
- |
419,420 |
|
Electrical Engineering |
18 |
12 |
4 |
3 |
1,118,084 |
|
Mining and Geology |
74 |
17 |
6 |
3 |
2,500,910 |
|
Power and Environmental Engineering |
83 |
12 |
8 |
2 |
1,557,315 |
|
Mathematics and Physics |
40 |
- |
- |
- |
87,354 |
|
Mechanical Engineering |
25 |
17 |
7 |
2 |
361,468 |
|
Materials Science, Metallurgy and Transport |
51 |
81 |
28 |
11 |
1,880,270 |
|
Organisation and Management |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
23,000 |
|
Total |
424 |
256 |
67 |
25 |
10,563,147 |
1
Average rate 2.2 PLN/USD
Table 2
Tasks for industry completed in the faculties of the Silesian University of Technology in 1998
|
Faculty |
Research tasks |
Expert analyses |
Implementations |
Industrial projects co-financed by CSR |
Value PLN1 |
|
Architecture |
5 |
7 |
- |
- |
236,282 |
|
Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science |
4 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
185,223 |
|
Civil Engineering |
99 |
79 |
1 |
- |
2,624,352 |
|
Chemistry |
35 |
29 |
8 |
- |
453,282 |
|
Electrical Engineering |
23 |
8 |
2 |
3 |
978,800 |
|
Mining and Geology |
84 |
20 |
6 |
4 |
1,825,476 |
|
Power and Environmental Engineering |
82 |
10 |
8 |
2 |
1,766,191 |
|
Mathematics and Physics |
38 |
- |
- |
- |
107,528 |
|
Mechanical Engineering |
20 |
15 |
6 |
1 |
206,564 |
|
Materials Science, Metallurgy and Transport |
45 |
81 |
27 |
11 |
1,773,240 |
|
Organisation and Management |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
6,887 |
|
Total |
435 |
251 |
63 |
22 |
10,163,825 |
1
Average rate 3.3 PLN/USD
Table 3
List of patents and patterns registered in the Silesian University of Technology in the last two years
|
Year |
Patents |
Patterns |
|
1997 |
registered 32 issued by Patent Office 14 |
registered 32 issued by Patent Office 4 |
|
1998 |
registered 35 issued by Patent Office 8 |
registered 35 issued by Patent Office 2 |
A diagram illustrating the current organisation of technology transfer has been shown in Fig.1. The Vice-Rector for Science is responsible for all technology transfer in the University. He is responsible for the Department of Scientific Research and Technology Transfer (DSR & TT) with its 9 employees. The Technology Transfer Section (TTS), a part of DSR & TT, has 3 employees. Two of them deal with the issues of invention protection, while one person deals with technology transfer itself. The DSR & TT has co-ordinated all scientific research activities at the University, including financial and legal assistance. The Rector’s Representative responsible for collaboration with industry and technology transfer deals with some technology transfer tasks subject to authorisation by the Rector. He co-operates closely with the TTS and with the representatives of the Deans responsible for technology transfer, from all 11 faculties. It is characteristic of the present scheme of technology transfer organisation that practically there is only one way of contact between industry and the University: it is the direct link between research teams and the particular companies. It could be considered as a disadvantage. Typically, research teams consist of staff members of only one faculty, although in some cases of interdisciplinary projects inter-faculty teams are created. For instance, a project for the Mining-Metallurgical Company ”Orzeł Biały” on recycling of used mine water was completed by a mixed team consisting of staff members from two faculties: Material Science, Metallurgy and Transport, and Power Engineering. Of course there are a lot of other projects completed by combined research teams. In each case the research team has co-operated with the Dean of the faculty of which the director of the project is a member, and with the DSR & TT. If patent and licence protection were required, they could collaborate with the TTS. Information services were the only links between TTS and industry. A team consisting of representatives of the Deans responsible for technology transfer and a TTS representative has prepared two catalogues comprising:
The catalogue devoted to the Range of Research Interest and Laboratory Capability contains 463 one-page notes about Professors and PhD’s from all 11 faculties. Each note contains a short description of the research interests, available laboratory capability and the contact address. An electronic version of the catalogue is now available on the Internet (http://www.polsl.gliwice.pl/alma.mater/polit.html) and is, of course, systematically updated.
The catalogue of Technologies Perfected at the University was published at the end of 1997. It consists of technological offers described in Polish and English. Each offer has the same form: summary information, short description, advantages, state of development, type of technology, suggested type of agreement and address.
The new version of the catalogue was prepared at the beginning of 1999. It contains about 335 technology offers from all 11 faculties. The Deans have approved the contents of the offers. The catalogue is available on the Internet at the same address as above.
The current structure of technology transfer in the University has worked very well. However, based on American and European experience, the structure should be slightly modified, mainly because of the necessity of more efficient collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises.
A draft of the proposal for a new structure of technology transfer in the University has been shown in Fig.2. There is a new block in the diagram: the Technology Transfer Centre (TTC), which co-ordinates all appropriate tasks. The TTC co-operates closely with the Technological Park (TP) located within the University Campus in Gliwice. The TP is oriented towards advanced technologies perfected mainly at the University, but also at some other research institutes from Gliwice and the region. The TP is an independent entity, managed by the Board of Directors consisting mainly of the Presidents of the Boards of the Research Institutes from Gliwice and Zabrze. The Rector of the University takes the leading position in the Board of Directors. The TP collaborates very closely with the City Council Office in Gliwice. It puts special emphasis on collaboration with small and medium-sized companies. Some of them are temporarily located at on the TP premises. The TTC has direct links with industry. The main task for this collaboration is forming bridges between industry and the research sector. Thus now not only research teams have direct contact with the industry: the TTC and the TP are also involved in this collaboration and try to strengthen the links between the two sides.
There are two main areas for the TP in Gliwice to promote:
There is a need in industry for new, advanced technologies necessary for the development of big companies, as well as for small and medium-sized ones.
Due to the disastrous state of the natural environment, the new TP should especially promote technologies for environmental protection.
The Silesian University of Technology has always put special emphasis on collaboration with industry. This area of activity has been very well organised, including research , implementations and patent protection. However, to match new market economy demands it is necessary to modify the technology transfer structure at the University, basing it on American and European experience. The Technology Transfer Centre will be established by the end of the year. The main task of the Centre will be to strengthen the links between the University, the research sector and industry. It will put special emphasis on collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises. The Centre will also take the leading role in the establishment of the Technological Park in Gliwice. The TP will be situated within the University campus. It will concentrate its activities on new, modern, advanced, environment friendly technologies.
Fig. 1 Current organisation of technology transfer in the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice
Fig. 2 Planned organisation of technology transfer in the SUT