2022-2023 University technology transfer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Dear Sarai Keestra

I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 24 October 2023.
Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and has been allocated reference FOI23-459 which should be quoted in all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to receive a response no later than .
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.
Yours sincerely

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol
Prifysgol Caerdydd
Ebost : [email address]

Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhwy oedi.

University Secretary's Office
Cardiff University
Email: [email address]

The University welcomes correspondence in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

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Dear Sarai Keestra

 

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 24
October 2023

 

For ease of reference, I have reproduced your questions below and set out
our corresponding responses.

 

Q1. Can you release your internal strategy, policy, or any kind of public
statement regarding the technology transfer (e.g. licensing, patenting) of
COVID-19 related health technologies? Has anything changed since September
2022 when we sent the last request?

 

Cardiff University does not have a specific policy relating to the
licensing and patenting of COVID-19 related health technologies. Nothing
substantive has changed in this regard since our 2022 response.

 

Q2. Does the institution have a formal policy on licensing and patenting
of health technologies? If yes, please provide a link or PDF to the
relevant policy document. Has anything changed since October 2022 when we
sent the last request?

 

Cardiff University does not have a specific policy relating to the
licensing and patenting of COVID-19 related health technologies. Nothing
substantive has changed in this regard since our 2022 response.

 

Q3. Has the university updated their strategy regarding the licensing and
patenting of health technologies since October 2022 when we sent the last
request?

 

Cardiff University’s IP policy was last reviewed in May 2021 to include
guidelines for Responsible Innovation. The strategy does not include a
specific policy regarding the licensing and patenting of health
technologies since the start of the pandemic. A wider review of
commercialisation is underway but has no definitive timeline for
approval/publication.

 

Q4. Please provide an Excel spreadsheet with headings as displayed below
with all the COVID-19 related health technologies LICENSED by the
university AND specify which countries they were licensed in AND specify
whether they are exclusive or non-exclusive licenses (time period: October
2022-October 2023).

Health Technology Licensed | Country of Licensing | Type of License
(Exclusive or Non-Exclusive)

 

Cardiff University does not have any licenses for any COVID-19 related
health technologies.

 

Q5. Please provide a list of patents granted to your organization for any
COVID-19 related health technologies listed by patent family, indicating
countries/regions in which the patent has been granted (time period:
October 2022-October 2023). If you use abbreviations in this list, please
clarify the abbreviations.

 

Cardiff University does not have any granted patents for any COVID-19
related health technologies.

 

Q6. Does the institution have any plans on signing up to the Open-COVID
pledge
([1]https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlo...)
or any similar initiative that seeks to minimise intellectual property
rights barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic (since January 2020)? If yes,
please specify. If the university has engaged in specific discussions with
Open-COVID pledge, please provide files related to these meetings if they
took place since October 2022.

 

Cardiff University is aware of the Open-COVID pledge.  We do not have any
plans to sign up to it currently but the position remains under review. In
considering the translation and exploitation of its research findings the
University invariably seeks to maximise any benefits which arise in terms
of public health and improved clinical practice and intervention.  No
specific discussions have taken place regarding the Open-COVID pledge
prior to, or since October 2022.

 

Q7. Has the institution considered the licensing of COVID-19 related
health technologies to the Covid Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) or the
Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) during the pandemic (since January 2020)? If
yes, please specify. If the university has engaged in specific discussions
with either C-TAP and/or MPP please provide files related to these
meetings if they took place since October 2022.

 

Cardiff University does not have any COVID-19 related health technologies
for licensing currently.  However, the University has explored a number of
COVID-19 related research projects in order to support the pandemic
response and recovery from the pandemic with key research groups
re-tasking their research capabilities to address this issue. We have also
run specific internal COVID-19 related funding calls in order to support
the ongoing efforts towards the pandemic and a recovery from it. The
University has not engaged in specific discussions with either C-TAP
and/or MPP prior to, or since October 2022.

 

Q8. Has the institution signed on to the AUTM COVID-19 Licensing
Guidelines (since January 2020)? If yes, please specify. If the university
has engaged in specific discussions with AUTM on these guidelines please
provide files related to these meetings if they took place since October
2022.

 

Cardiff University has not signed on to the AUTM COVID-19 Licensing
Guidelines nor been involved in specific discussions relating to these
guidelines prior to, or since October 2022..

 

Q9. Has the institution engaged with the WHO technology transfer hub
during the pandemic (since January 2020)? If yes, please specify. If the
university has engaged in specific discussions with the WHO technology
transfer hub please provide files related to these meetings if they took
place since October 2022.

 

Cardiff University has not been engaged with the WHO technology transfer
hub since January 2020.

 

 

Q10. Has the institution shared their best practices on the technology
transfer of COVID-19 health technologies with other institutions (since
January 2020)? If yes, please specify. If the university has engaged in
specific discussions with other universities on COVID-19 health
technologies in the context of technology transfer, please provide files
related to these meetings if they took place since October 2022.

 

Cardiff University has not shared their best practices on the technology
transfer of COVID-19 health technologies with other institutions or
engaged in specific discussions with other universities on COVID-19 health
technologies in the context of technology transfer.

 

Q11. Are there any other steps the university has taken between January
2020 and October 2023 to promote the accessibility, affordability, or
availability of COVID-19 health technologies beyond the questions listed
here?

 

Cardiff University has not taken additional steps to promote the
accessibility, affordability, or availability of COVID-19 health
technologies beyond the responses provided here.

 

 

I trust this information satisfies your enquiry.  Should you feel
dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was
handled you can request an Internal Review. This should be made in writing
within 40 working days of the date of this email. Please provide your
unique reference number of your request, information on why you are
dissatisfied and any detail you would like us to consider as part of the
Internal Review process. Email your request to
[2][email address] where it will be forwarded to the Head of
Compliance and Risk who will be responsible for overseeing the review.

 

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome, you have the right to
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for consideration.  The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance, please feel free to
contact me.

 

 

 

 

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s Office

Prifysgol Caerdydd Cardiff University

Ebost : [3][email address] Email: [4][email address] 
 
 
 
The University welcomes
Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu correspondence in Welsh or English. 
gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg.  Corresponding in Welsh will not lead
Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu to any delay.
unrhwy oedi.

 

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://opencovidpledge.org/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]