What is meant by technology?

Technology can be most broadly defined as the entities, both material and immaterial, created by the application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve some value. In this usage, technology refers to tools and machines that may be used to solve real-world problems.

Which is the best definition of technology?

The best definition of technology is the study and transformation of techniques, tools, and machines created by humans. Technology allows humans to study and evolve the physical elements that are present in their lives.

What are the various types of technology?

The types of technology include:

1. Mechanical
2. Electronic
3. Industrial and manufacturing
4. Medical
5. Communications

What is inappropriate technology?

We could use the term inappropriate technology to describe certain damaging technologies. The opposite of appropriate technology, suffering from a drastic lack of appropriateness. While the use of any technology can be inappropriate, depending on context, certain technologies are especially prone to this.

Technology Transfer

Technology transfer is the movement or flow of technical knowledge, data, designs, prototypes, materials, inventions, software, and/or trade secrets from one organization to another organization or from one purpose to another purpose.

Technology transfer is a process for applying known technologies to new and novel applications. Technology transfer has significant value for developing industries, including the field of assistive technology. However, this value cannot be realized until the process is fully understood and properly implemented.

Technology transfer, also called transfer of technology, is the process of transferring technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization.

Technology transfer (TT) refers to the process of conveying results stemming from scientific and technological research to the market place and to wider society, along with associated skills and procedures, and is as such an intrinsic part of the technological innovation process.

Technology transfer is a complex process that involves many non-scientific and non-technological factors, and many different stakeholders. Good or high quality research results are not enough for successful technology transfer; general awareness and willingness both at the level of organisations and individuals, as well as skills and capacity related to specific aspects, such as access to risk finance and intellectual property (IP) management, are also necessary components.

The fundamental steps of the technology transfer process are depicted in the figure below.

Technology transfer covers the complex value chain linking research to its eventual societal deployment. This begins with the discovery of novel technologies at research institutions, followed by the disclosure, evaluation and protection of these technologies. The next steps include marketing, potential licencing agreements and the development of products based on the technical inventions. The financial returns of these products can then, for instance, be used for further research.

Why is Technology Transfer important? 

Technology transfer helps develop early stage intellectual property into tools for direct use by the research community, or into bases for new platforms, products, or services to be made into products for public use.

Technology transfer covers all those activities that underpin the transition of a range of factors (including knowledge, technology, skills, manufacturing methods, production samples and services) from scientific research to the markets.

This process is the result of a partnership between academic and industrial fields, whose main purpose is to make technology accessible to everyone. Technology transfer can also be defined as a process characterised by a starting point (research), an end point (the market) and a series of middle phases (the so-called supply chain), involving several players.

Given that technology – materialization in other words – is the most tangible embodiment of an idea or a theory, to fully understand the concept of technology transfer the definition of intellectual property must be taken as the outset. Intellectual property is a set of laws enshrined to protect the creativity of human intelligence and thus give appropriate incentives to those who engage in research or creation.

In addition to being a sort of guarantee for all those who create innovation within the research environment, intellectual property essentially plays a connecting role with the business and production sides. For the latter, then, is one of the most effective tools to keep the advantage over competitors, positions achieved through the innovative effort. Accordingly, intellectual property makes technology transfer safer and more efficient, thus encouraging the exploitation of innovation by existing or newly established companies (spin-offs and start-ups).

From a regulatory point of view, although the legal framework relating to the “protection of ideas” is the result of a series of international agreements, in Italy an important source is the Industrial Property Code, adopted by Legislative Decree no. 30 dated February 10th, 2005.  Without delving into too much details, it makes a significant separation between industrial property (i.e. intellectual property protected by patents) and intellectual property (i.e. literary and artistic works protected by copyright).