Heriot-Watt Director of Technology & Research Services, Gillian McFadzean, has co-authored a book, part of a European series, entitled 'Technology Transfer 3', which explores the practical ways in which university knowledge transfer officers can take a lead in embracing innovative thinking in both Knowledge Transfer (KT) policy and practice.
Gillian's contribution in the book, headed: 'Embedding innovation in support of knowledge transfer', covers the areas of technology transfer through subjects such as licensing, interaction with industry, patent strategy, financing operations, policy issues, spin outs, cultural aspects of negotiations and much more.
A senior university manager, Gillian McFadzean, is a well respected and experienced KT practitioner. Her work is well known in Europe, where she chairs a number of expert groups and speaks at leading KT conferences sharing her knowledge and understanding of directing an integrated team in research support, business development and technology transfer.
Gillian has directed Heriot-Watt's TRS office for the past five years, under her direction the team's successes have made Heriot-Watt one of the top performers in the UK for competitive government funding awards, producing healthy growth in licence income and leading to 19 spin-out companies over the last seven years. Gillian has been instrumental in increasing the University's ability to share its knowledge and expertise with Scottish, UK and global business, with the forming of the Converge Project, a unique initiative that helps business find innovative solutions to industry problems.
Gillian commented; 'The book is an aid to staff working in technology transfer and outlines how an innovative culture can become an achievable objective for university knowledge transfer communities.'