Technology Transfer Data Sources Reference

Comprehensive guide to global TT statistics sources, methodologies, and access information for researchers and practitioners

Global Organizations

ATTP - Alliance of Technology Transfer ProfessionalsMembership

๐Ÿ“ Global ๐Ÿ“Š Coordination body ๐Ÿ”„ Ongoing

Umbrella organization coordinating regional TT associations worldwide. Members include AUTM, ASTP, UNITT, KAUTM, and others.

Member Associations
  • AUTM (USA/Canada)
  • ASTP (Europe)
  • UNITT (Japan)
  • KAUTM (South Korea)
  • FORTEC (Brazil)
  • รœSฤฐMP (Turkey)
  • SARIMA (South Africa)
  • AToP (Philippines)
๐Ÿ”— attp.global

WIPO - World Intellectual Property OrganizationFree Access

๐Ÿ“ Global ๐Ÿ“Š Patent statistics ๐Ÿ”„ Annual updates

Primary source for global patent statistics including PCT applications, trademark data, and country-level IP indicators.

Key Resources
  • IP Statistics Data Center
  • PCT Yearly Review
  • World IP Indicators
  • Country profiles
  • Technology concordance
  • TISC network data
๐Ÿ”— wipo.int/ip-statistics

LES/LESI - Licensing Executives Society InternationalMembership

๐Ÿ“ Global (33 societies) ๐Ÿ“Š IP licensing focus ๐Ÿ”„ Annual conferences

Professional society for IP licensing and technology transfer practitioners. 33 national/regional societies covering legal, valuation, and commercialization aspects.

Coverage Areas
  • IP licensing practices
  • Technology valuation
  • Deal structuring
  • Legal frameworks
  • Industry standards
  • Les Nouvelles journal
๐Ÿ”— lesi.org | LES USA-Canada

Americas Sources

AUTM - Association of University Technology ManagersSubscription

๐Ÿ“ USA & Canada ๐Ÿ“Š 30+ years data ๐Ÿ”„ Annual survey

Gold standard for technology transfer benchmarking. STATT database contains 30+ years of survey data from US and Canadian institutions.

Key Metrics Tracked
  • Invention disclosures
  • Patent applications filed
  • Patents issued
  • Licenses/options executed
  • Licensing revenue
  • Startups formed
  • Startup equity
  • Research expenditure
๐Ÿ”— STATT Database | Licensing Survey

FORTEC - Brazil Forum of Innovation and Technology Transfer ManagersFree Reports

๐Ÿ“ Brazil ๐Ÿ“Š University NITs ๐Ÿ”„ Annual survey

Brazilian equivalent to AUTM, survey modeled on AUTM methodology for comparison. Covers NITs (Nรบcleos de Inovaรงรฃo Tecnolรณgica) at Brazilian institutions.

Data Coverage
  • Patent filings
  • Technology licensing
  • NIT characteristics
  • Commercialization rates
  • University regulations impact
๐Ÿ”— FORTEC Innovation Survey (via member institutions)

Red OTT Mexico - National Network of Technology Transfer OfficesNetwork

๐Ÿ“ Mexico ๐Ÿ“Š University TTOs

Coordinates technology transfer activities across Mexican universities and research institutions.

๐Ÿ”— Network resources via member institutions

NSF Science IndicatorsFree Access

๐Ÿ“ USA ๐Ÿ“Š Science & Engineering data ๐Ÿ”„ Biennial

Comprehensive US data on academic patenting, R&D expenditure, and science/engineering trends including technology transfer metrics.

๐Ÿ”— ncses.nsf.gov

European Sources

ASTP - Association of European Science and Technology Transfer ProfessionalsMembership

๐Ÿ“ Europe (21+ countries) ๐Ÿ“Š 674 KTOs (FY2021) ๐Ÿ”„ Annual survey

Premier pan-European association for knowledge transfer professionals. Annual survey covers 600+ KTOs across Europe.

Survey Coverage
  • KTO characteristics
  • IP protection
  • Licensing activity
  • Industry contracts
  • Spin-off creation
  • Staff resources
  • Operating budgets
  • Research agreements
๐Ÿ”— astp4kt.eu/kt-metrics

National European Associations

Country Association Coverage Access
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain RedOTRI 70+ university TTOs Member reports
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France Rรฉseau C.U.R.I.E French TTO network Member reports
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany TransferAllianz Universities & research orgs Member reports
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง UK Research England / Unico HE-BCI Survey Public reports
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช Ireland KTI Centralized metrics Public
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy Netval PROs & hospitals Member reports
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ Switzerland swiTT Swiss institutions Member reports
๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands TTO NL Dutch TTOs Member reports
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ช Belgium LIEU Network Belgian universities Member reports

EC JRC Technology Transfer Competence CentreFree Reports

๐Ÿ“ EU ๐Ÿ“Š Policy research

European Commission's Joint Research Centre provides policy research and harmonization efforts for KT metrics across Europe.

๐Ÿ”— EC JRC publications and policy documents

European Patent Office (EPO)Free Data

๐Ÿ“ Europe ๐Ÿ“Š Patent statistics

Patent applications, grants, and observatory studies including analysis of public research organization patents and inventor diversity.

๐Ÿ”— epo.org

Asia-Pacific Sources

UNITT - University Network for Innovation and Technology Transfer (Japan)Purchase

๐Ÿ“ Japan ๐Ÿ“Š 111 institutions ๐Ÿ”„ Annual since 2007

Japanese equivalent to AUTM, designed for US-Japan comparisons. Survey covers universities, TLOs, and national R&D corporations.

Survey Categories
  • Invention disclosures
  • Patent applications
  • License agreements
  • Assignment agreements
  • Startup creation
  • TTO staffing
  • Revenue data
๐Ÿ”— unitt.jp/en/survey (ยฅ2,350/copy)

KAUTM - Korea Association of University Technology Transfer ManagersNetwork

๐Ÿ“ South Korea ๐Ÿ“Š University TLOs

Network organization of Korean university technology licensing offices coordinating tech transfer activities.

๐Ÿ”— Member network resources

Government Data Sources (Asia-Pacific)

Country Database Content Access
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan ReaD&Researchmap Researcher profiles Free
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan J-GLOBAL Science/tech information Free
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan KAKEN Research grants database Free
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan MEXT/METI Statistics Ministry TT data Free
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท Korea KIPI Patent information Free
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท Korea DART Data analysis & transfer Free
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท Korea WIPS Worldwide IP search Subscription
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia SCOPR Commercial outcomes survey Reports

IP & Licensing Data Sources

National Patent Offices

๐Ÿ“ Country-specific ๐Ÿ“Š Patent data ๐Ÿ”„ Continuous
Region Office Database
USA USPTO PatentsView, PAIR
Brazil INPI Brazilian patent database
Mexico IMPI Mexican IP registry
Japan JPO J-PlatPat
Korea KIPO KIPRIS
China CNIPA Chinese patent database

Academic & Research Databases

  • OpenAlex - Open scholarly metadata (free)
  • PATSTAT - EPO Worldwide Patent Statistical Database
  • Lens.org - Open patent and scholarly data
  • Google Patents - Free patent search

Government & Research Databases

Latin America

Country Database Content
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil LATTES Platform National researcher CV database (largest in region)
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ด Colombia CvLAC National researcher database
๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ Mexico CVU/CONACYT Researcher registry
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Chile CONICYT Science & technology data
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท Argentina CONICET Research council data

Methodology Notes

Key Considerations When Using TT Statistics

  • Definition variations: Terms like "spin-off," "license," and "invention disclosure" have different definitions across surveys
  • Self-reported data: Most surveys rely on institutional self-reporting, which may vary in accuracy
  • Response rates: Not all institutions respond to surveys; coverage varies by year
  • Fiscal year differences: Different countries use different fiscal year calendars
  • Currency conversion: Financial metrics need careful conversion when comparing internationally
  • Normalization: Compare ratios (per researcher, per $ research) not absolute numbers
  • Time lags: Survey data typically reflects activity 1-2 years prior to publication

ASTP 2025 Harmonization Recommendations

  • Work towards comprehensive KTT activity coverage across all channels
  • Institutionalize data collection at all organizational levels
  • Report core indicators covering inputs, outputs, and impacts
  • Engage in impact pilot studies for economic and non-economic effects
  • Apply harmonized definitions with funders and stakeholders
  • Bridge transition periods when changing data collection methods

Common Metrics Across Surveys

Metric AUTM ASTP UNITT
Invention disclosures โœ“ โœ“ (79%) โœ“
Patent applications โœ“ โœ“ (100%) โœ“
Licenses executed โœ“ โœ“ โœ“
Licensing revenue โœ“ โœ“ (68%) โœ“
Startups formed โœ“ โœ“ โœ“
Research expenditure โœ“ Varies โœ“

Use This Data

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