Pathway Map
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OFFICER
Deal close overview.
As the licensing process nears completion, the university’s TTO staff play a key role in final checks and approvals before the licence agreement is signed.
Once both parties are preparing to enter a legally binding agreement, the TTO must:
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conduct final checks to ensure all terms are correctly captured and understood
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communicate with relevant departments, especially for exclusive licences, to inform colleagues that future use of the licensed IP may be restricted. Transparency at the school or departmental level is vital to ensure awareness of commercial activities involving university innovations.
Post-deal management planning is also a critical part of the closure phase:
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the TTO must ensure the staff member responsible for managing the licence post-signing is fully briefed on all terms and obligations
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regular updates from the licensee on IP development and commercial progress are crucial, as universities are increasingly expected to demonstrate the real-world impact of research
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the TTO oversees compliance with contract terms, including monitoring performance, collecting payments, and distributing revenue shares to originators, funders, and other third parties, where applicable.
Additionally, the TTO must prepare a clear strategy for dealing with potential issues, such as licensee underperformance or breaches of the agreement. Departmental or senior staff should be informed of the actions that would be taken in such cases.
Once these checks are complete and all stakeholders are aligned, the lead TTO can confidently recommend final approval for signing the licence agreement.
University approval
Each institution will, in respect of its governance and management structure, have an approved delegated authority list of signatories to sign IP licence agreements.
The relevant TTO member of staff should identify who the appropriate signatory is for the deal. They are concluding and ensuring that verbal or email briefings and recommendations for signature are given in a timely manner in order to avoid last-minute delays.
Signed licence agreement
The use of template documentation and involvement of university legal advisers or other qualified staff will be helpful in ensuring the agreement is correctly executed, which is essential for parties to be absolutely entitled to enforce their own rights. Currently (Spring 2025), most university contracting activity is undertaken by electronic signing procedures.
When the IP licence agreement has been filed, all parties should formally retain a copy for their records. The university’s IP management system needs to be updated to reflect ongoing, regular actions (see post-deal checklist) so that all elements of the agreement are continued for the entire duration.
