Building a successful Knowledge Transfer Office

09:00 - 09:30    Course introduction

In this opening session the Course Directors outline what to expect from the days ahead and ask the delegates to describe any particular challenges they are experiencing.

09:30 - 10:30     The environment for KE and the role of the KTO within the organisation

Sometimes KTOs are expected to do the impossible. Discussion on the challenging environment for KE in universities and the implications for KE teams and their roles.

10:30 - 11:00    Coffee break

11:00 - 12:30    Who is the customer? And are they always right?

Case study to consider the risks of an academic-led approach championed by a head of an academic department.

Delegates work together to explore KT mandate and objectives, the tasks of the KTO, stakeholder expectations and management, and critical success factors.

12:30 - 13:30    Lunch

13:30 - 15:00     The organisational models for a KTO

The evolution of different models for organising a KTO and possible funding models. Should teams be organised vertically or horizontally? Are they coaches and supporters of the academics or drivers of business and activity?

Do they provide technical IP and legal support only or also market engagement and sector-focused partnerships? What stakeholder or steering groups are useful and which are not?

Delegates explore how these models support the mandate and objectives of the KTO and consider how to improve them.

Delegates reflect upon the organisational models of the participants.

16:00 - 17:30    Beyond your own KTO: what wider entrepreneurial ecosystem do you need?

How can you shape your wider ecosystem to make a real difference and enhance the performance and impact of your KTO?

Organising your ecosystem: determining the players that need to be assembled (legal, finance, patent agents, marketing; sector specialists etc), their motivations, setting the vision and goals and delivering on them.

Setting up and using funding to drive activity: eg proof of concept schemes and fellowships; Pre Seed Funds; Seed Funds; Incubator Funds and Facilities; Accelerator Funds; Venture Capital; Public Private Partnerships and Funding. And how can you manage these effectively?

17:30 - 18:00    Round up of day 1

Delegates reflect on their own situations in respect to the challenges described in session 2.

19:30 - 23:00    Networking dinner

09:00 - 09:15    Course directors intro

Now we know what the TTO is for, how is the TTO working? Is it effective and value for money?

09:15 - 11:00    The KTO Strategy - What is your Strategy? - how do you want to spend your time?

This session helps you critically examine how to set strategic priorities across your KTO in the context of your organisation.

We explore the key elements of a business plan and how to use it to create a value proposition for the KTO. We also consider how to use a business plan to demonstrate value for money and get additional budget/resources for your KTO.

11:00 - 11:30    Coffee break

11:30 - 13:00    Setting KPIs, Understanding your Value and reporting upwards

This session considers the key indicators that a KTO needs to be looking at to monitor (and prove) its success including the value of its pipeline and wider benefits to the organisation.

Includes managing expectations and monitoring and reporting on the performance and outcomes of your KTO.

13:00 - 13:45    Lunch

13:45 - 15:15    Professionalising your KT processes, policies and agreements

There are many areas of KT activities for which a clear policy and clear rules and regulations are required.

In this session, the delegates will explore the critical KT policies, processes, agreements, compliance systems and reward mechanisms required to operate a professional KT Office. Delegates are invited to share their operational practices to develop a minimum professional toolkit.

15:15 - 15:45    Coffee break

15:45 - 17:00     Creating and supporting a motivated team

How can you grow a creative, resilient team of entrepreneurial leaders and keep them motivated through set-backs and the structural challenges that face KTOs? What are the key mechanisms that can ensure retention and personal growth of staff? And what sort of leadership team will you need?

17:00 - 18:00     Responding to delegates‘ challenges

What have we learned so far?

Delegates work in groups to discuss strategies, policies and people issues what they think they have learned so far and what things they could do to build a successful KTO.

09:00 - 09:15    Course director intro:

Whatever your structure, your plan and your processes you need to create a culture of success to encourage more researchers/academics to take part and to trust you to deliver for them.

09:15 - 10:30    Supporting risky academic ideas

Some academics have great ideas which might not fit within your existing structures. How do you support them without changing your normal arrangements or losing the ability to manage the additional risks?

In this session we examine the pros and cons of creating, ‘special purpose vehicles’ and how best to structure them.

10:30 - 11:00    Coffee break

11:00 - 12:15    Getting buy-in - Marketing your KTO

A critical component of organising your KTO for growth and success is to convince your internal customers, partners, sponsors and talent to join you in your mission and to persuade external partners that you are the trusted gateway to the University.

We will discuss how to establish your brand with key audiences; how to build internal champions; how to help academics to build good partnerships; how to increase the impact of your work and the recognition your office receives. And consider what works with the least resources.

12:00 - 13:00    Responding to delegates‘ challenges

Groups choose a combined response of top things they could do to build a successful KTO and feedback to the whole group.

13:00 - 13:15    Wrap up

13:15 - 14:15    Lunch