1.6.1 Scoring the Technology
The Ten-point Technology Scoring Template (TPTST) was developed by one of the authors, Dr. Richard Cahoon, to help teach early-stage TTPs how to evaluate all aspects of an invention. The template has been used in the World IP Organization (WIPO) Enabling Innovation Environment Project as a teaching and collaborative tool for technology commercialization and has proven useful for experienced TTPs as well. The TPTST breaks the evaluation of an invention into ten distinct, but interrelated categories. In each category, the invention is rated by the TTP from between 1 (very low) and 5 (very high). The ten categories progress from an initial focus on the technical aspects of the invention, IP qualities, market and economic relevance, and then the value proposition – a key pivot from technical and IP to business and commercialization. The last half of the TPTST categories focus on the commercialization aspects of the invention, including issues of scale-up and productization capacity, ongoing funding for R&D, commercialization allies and related partnerships. The TPTST is a good first exposure to invention analysis for the inexperienced TTP. Eventually, with more experience, the TTP will rely less on a formal use of the TPTST and instead incorporate its analytical framework into their overall thinking and approach.
The TPTST format and explanations of the categories and how to score them are here.
1.6.2 Using the TPST Template as a Development Guide
While the TPTST is designed to provide an initial assessment of the invention, it has possibly even more value in developing the commercialization/Tech Transfer potential of an invention. When the TTP scores an invention in each of the ten categories, inevitably some of the categories will likely score relatively low. Also, whenever there is insufficient information to properly score an invention in a particular category, the TTP gives the score of “3” (insufficient information). As a result, after scoring an invention in all ten categories, it will become apparent which categories the invention needs further development within. For example, if the potential for a value proposition is scored low, the TTP knows that this category requires much more thought, research, and intellectual development. Similarly, if the category of “Potential or Existing Commercialization Partnerships” is very low, the TTP should work on developing such partnerships.
Here are more details on using the TPTST for invention development.
1.6.3 Recommendation Framework
There are three possible outcomes from an assessment:
- Abandon (the invention is fatally flawed in some significant way so that it is non-viable);
- Pursue (the invention shows good indications of performance, IP, market, relevance, and value proposition attributes);
- Hold for more information and later review. that shows the four outcomes). The conditional outcomes – conditional go or conditional kill – are an opportunity for further dialogue with your inventor, giving them targets to meet so that the technology can move forward.