You can advance your business by accessing our intellectual property through either licensing or co-development opportunities. Commercialisation of our intellectual property can benefit your businesses, but we can also work together to help you develop yours.

Licensing opportunity 

By licensing from us you can gain access to ideas that can enhance the range and impact of your current offerings. Whether that’s through developing or improving products, processes or services, we can help you to win competitive advantage.  Tell us the gaps you have, and we can match you with the right expertise.

Co-Development Opportunity 


Whether you need to collaborate on a ground-breaking project, exchange knowledge and expertise, or develop new programmes and fund research, we're the perfect partner.  We can bring fresh thinking and an innovative approach to your business challenge. In addition, by collaborating with us you can access external funding to support the development or you can fund this directly. 

Could one of our researchers be your next game changer?

Our approach to IP

We adopt a flexible and pragmatic approach to IP negotiations and we view this as a vital way to bolster collaboration between universities and businesses.  We work collaboratively and adopt the common contracts agreed by Scottish Universities – the starting position on our approach for a range of externally funded pathways is given below.

Externally Funded Activity 

Background IP 

Foreground IP 

Consultancy 

Remains the property of the party introducing it. 

All IPR in any deliverables will be passed to the company. Any IPR created, which is not a direct result of Edinburgh Napier providing the services will remain with Edinburgh Napier. 

 

Collaborative research 

Normally remains the property of the party introducing it. 

The grant conditions of the funder will normally prevail. 

Each negotiation is normally dealt with on a case-by-case basis depending upon the scope of the project.

Standard legal agreements

To simplify the process of collaborating with us, we have agreed a series of downloadable, standardised legal agreements that will be agreed by both parties prior to project initiation. These agreements are used as a starting point and all discussions would be undertaken by your business and our university.

Happy to collaborate and happy to negotiate.

Explore IP opportunities with Edinburgh Napier today. Contact us and let's start a conversation.