Public-Private Sector Linkages in Research and Development : The Case of U.S. Agriculture

The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 gave U.S. universities and researchers property rights to innovations funded by federal money.This act led many universities to create Offices of Technology Transfer (OTTs) to assess innovations.The role of the OTT in the development of agricultural biotechnologies is evaluated.The five stages of the innovation process (research, development, product testing, production, and marketing) are discussed and evaluated in agricultural terms. The OTTs process of bringing innovations to the private sector (by soliciting and evaluating innovations, selling intellectual property rights, and monitoring and enforcing contracts) is explained, discussing this process in the agricultural field and discussing new roles of OTTs.Alternative institutional setups for conducting the innovation process are presented. Although OTTs provide a new link between universities and the commercial sector, traditional links, such as extension offices, should also be maintained, and the value of public research not leading to patents or royalties should not be overlooked. (AKP)