UiA aims to increase the amount of research results that are used commercially outside the university. This is also expected of UiA in the newly adopted Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, parliamentary reports, and the long-term plan for research and education 2023-2032.
«Commercialization» means working with research-based innovation, where the goal is to create a product or service that the market demands. The principles follow up measures in UiA's Action plan for research, artistic research, and innovation.
The adopted principles are:
- Researchers should be given time, space, and incentives to contribute to the commercialization of their research results
- Researchers' own wishes and ambitions should be taken into account when choosing a commercialization strategy
- Verification and commercialization should be financed through external funding as far as possible
- UiA acknowledges the necessity of external collaboration in order to offer products and services on the market. UiA shall not produce and sell products on the market itself.
- UiA welcomes collaboration with start-up companies, but is hesitant to take part in establishing such companies.
- UiA's work with research-driven innovation shall comply with the definition of non-economic activities in EU state aid regulation
- Students should be included in work on commercialization
The complete document of principles can be found here (Norwegian only): Prinsipper for kommersialisering av forskningsresultater ved UiA.