Rutgers' business partner
Axiva and Rutgers begin a business partnership
Archived article from Feb 18, 2000
By Joseph Blumberg
Axiva U.S., Inc. (formerly known as Aventis Research & Technologies) has entered into a novel arrangement with the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials, a consortium based at Rutgers. The center is assembling and managing an interdisciplinary Rutgers team from several departments and units that will work closely with Axiva scientists, serving as a "virtual research organization" for the company.
While the Rutgers scientists will perform the research, Axiva U.S. will retain ownership of the intellectual property and any patents that result. This collaboration combines the scientific talents of center researchers, the business skills of the industrial partner and the broad intellectual assets of the university.
"The virtual research organization reflects a new paradigm in industrial collaboration that could become a model for other interactions throughout the university," said Joachim Kohn, director of the Center for Biomaterials. "Also unusual here is that Rutgers is actually assigning all patents, all the intellectual property coming out of this team, to Axiva, and in return the company will share with us the downstream benefits derived from that interaction. Whenever there is a profit, we will share in it."
In support of the arrangement, Axiva U.S. presented a check for $425,000 to fund this 14-month research partnership for the development of a versatile new form of starch. While Axiva anticipates uses for this material as a food ingredient, Rutgers researchers plan to explore further applications in medical implants, cosmetics and engineering materials, and to refine the biotechnology process used in its production.
"We selected Rutgers over all other U.S. universities for this program because of the way in which the separate disciplines have been brought together in the center and our observations of their past project-management expertise," said Gordon Calundann, spokesperson for Axiva U.S. "I think, more important than the profits we hope to share is the teamwork atmosphere our arrangement can create. Because of this unique agreement, we see this as being in business together."
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