A TOOL KIT FOR BUILDING HBCU TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORKS USING AN ADVANCED PLANNING SYSTEM

This mixed methods study describes the development of a university technology transfer that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can use to become more self-reliant financially. HBCUs lag behind their peer non-HBCUs because historically they have been under-served and were originally established largely as teaching and blue collar trade schools. Increased involvement in research oriented activities such as technology transfer will likely enable HBCUs to grow into new or stronger research institutions. The literature review revealed several problem areas with non-HBCUs university technology transfer include: (1) lack of quality standard benchmarks; (2) resource planning issues; (3) processing delays; and (4) need for improved intellectual property policies. These problem areas for non-HBCUs would be challenging for HBCUs as well. Despite these problems, the non-HBCUs are generating licensing revenues.

Systems dynamics is the process of combining the theory, method and philosophy necessary to analyze the behavior of a system in order to provide a common foundation that can be applied whenever it is desired to understand and influence how things change over time. Applying the systems dynamics approach, a theoretical framework comprised of tight linkages between the social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954), resource based view (Barney, 1991), Forrester’s theory of distribution management related to supply chain management (Mentzer, 2001), and the paradigm-effect theory (Barker, 1992; Kuhn, 1996) was developed. This theoretical framework was used to research four (4) tools in an advanced planning system to address the four (4) non-HBCU technology transfer problem areas.

First, a benchmarking tool was developed for use by HBCUs to establish technology transfer quality standards. Second, a budget resource planning tool was developed using a linear programming optimization technique. Third, a tech transfer job scheduling tool was developed using an advanced optimization technique. Fourth, a Model IP Policy tool was drafted.

Increased HBCU participation in tech transfer represents a paradigm shift. When old paradigms lose their effectiveness, one of the reasons leaders do not solve problems right away is the lack of technological tools (Barker, 1992). This toolkit is an advanced planning system to help HBCUs and other emerging research institutions better compete for licensing revenues.