This is according to a survey of knowledge commercialization companies in Israel for the year 2021 by the CBS in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Culture. Prof. Peretz Lavi, chairman of the MoLMOP: "The increase in the license agreements that were signed is significant for the state, as these will bear their fruits in the future to come"
A survey of knowledge commercialization companies in Israel for the year 2021 included knowledge commercialization companies whose activities are ancillary to the activities of research universities (eight companies for eight universities) and in addition companies near research institutes and academic colleges (four companies) and hospitals (six companies). In addition, a survey was conducted which examined the issue of research budgets that are outside the normal budget. Both surveys were conducted with the initiative and support of the National R&D Council, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
The subject of the questionnaires in the surveys were: expenses and personnel in the field of intellectual property management, intellectual property and its protection (patents, inventions, etc.), income from intellectual property and start-up companies of knowledge commercialization companies, in order to monitor the state of R&D in Israel and examine recommendations for action, within The activities of the MoLMOP.
Among the findings of the survey:
- A significant increase in license agreements at Israel's research universities, between 2020 and 2021. While in 2020, 318 license agreements were received, in 2021, 853 such agreements were registered, with research institutes and colleges also registering an impressive increase from 62 agreements in 2020 to 97 agreements in 2021.
- An increase in the number of patent families, which increased in 2021 by 25% compared to 2020
- Decrease in income from intellectual property in the companies next to the universities
- Decrease in the number of start-up companies established: 64 in 2021, compared to 75 in 2020
- A decrease of about 6% in the number of inventions compared to 2020
- Decrease in budgets for research from external sources other than the current budget of the universities
Prof. Peretz Lavi, Chairman of the National Council for Research and Civil Development: "The impressive increase in the number of license agreements, patent submissions by the companies near the research universities, research institutes and colleges, encourages and points to the increased awareness in the academic institutions of the importance of transferring technologies from the research laboratories to industry and the economy. Also, the increase indicates the success of the policy of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology to increase awareness of applied research."
"Regarding the decrease in the number of start-up companies established near the research institutions, Prof. Lavi is red for the general decrease in the establishment of start-up companies, but it is important to note that one of the 10 start-up companies established in the last year were established by the implementation companies near the universities. The decrease in the institutions' income can be explained by the expiration of a number of patents which in the past brought in considerable sums such as Copaxone at the Weizmann Institute and Azilect at the Technion. Another possible reason for the decrease in income stems from the change in university policy regarding holdings in knowledge commercialization companies. While in the past, knowledge trading companies tended to sell their shares in companies, today they prefer to continue holding and as long as the companies do not go public or are sold, they do not see any fruit in holding. Only at the time of exit are they rented. This is a process that takes time as many companies are at different stages of development, some more and some less. Therefore, the decrease in income does not necessarily reflect the real situation."
Hila Hadad Hamelnik, CEO of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, commented on the issue and said: "Looking at the future of the high-tech industry, academia must serve as an engine of growth. Israel's economy needs the tremendous knowledge that exists in the academy to reach the industry, therefore the commercialization of knowledge is critical for the country. We are required to face the challenge of transferring and extracting knowledge from the academy into actual industry and for the benefit of creating significant value for the Israeli economy."
Prof. Yossi Makori, chairman of the HOT: "The significant increase in the license agreements signed by the universities' knowledge commercialization companies (more than 2.5 times in 2021 compared to the previous year), as well as in the number of patents registered, proves that, despite the challenging situation during the Corona crisis, the research institutions supported by VT have been able to leverage and promote the The activity of transferring and commercializing academic knowledge, we welcome this, and we are sure that in light of the joint efforts of the institutions themselves, and of OT, to encourage and reward this type of activity, we will also see a corresponding increase in the establishment of start-up companies and income from intellectual property in the future.
The main findings - a survey of knowledge commercialization companies in Israel for 2021
Survey of knowledge commercialization companies in Israel for 2021 It included the knowledge commercialization companies whose activity is ancillary to the activity of the research universities (eight companies for eight universities) and in addition companies next to research institutes and academic colleges (four companies) and hospitals (six companies). In addition, the survey examined the issue of research budgets. The survey was conducted with the initiative and support of the National R&D Council, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. The questionnaire dealt with the following topics: expenses and personnel in the field of intellectual property management, intellectual property and its protection (patents, inventions, etc.), income from intellectual property and start-ups of knowledge commercialization companies, in order to monitor the state of R&D in Israel and examine recommendations for action, within The activity of the MoLMOP, when alongside the encouraging data in the survey, less encouraging data were recorded as follows:
- The total number of new license agreements with external companies has almost doubled: 1,039 in 2120, compared to 550 in 2020 (an increase of 89%). Most of the agreements were signed with local companies: 77% in 2021, and 74% in 2020. Most of the agreements were signed by knowledge commercialization companies near the universities - 82% in 2021 and 58% in 2020. It is important to emphasize that the role of knowledge commercialization companies is to market and transfer the knowledge created in universities, hospitals and research institutes and colleges. One of the ways to commercialize knowledge is through license agreements.
- 2020. The increase was recorded in companies near universities (35%) and an increase was recorded in companies near hospitals (6%). The patent families in the companies next to the universities make up 70% of the total patent registrations in 2021.
- . Revenues from intellectual property sales, royalties and other royalties decreased by 17% compared to 2019, from NIS 1,333 million to NIS 1,101 million in 2020. These revenues accounted for 87% of the revenues of the companies next to the universities.
- . 75% of the start-up companies were established by the companies next to the universities. During that period, there was a decrease in the number of start-up companies established in Israel, their number decreased from 1074 in 2016 to 588 in 2020. That is, about 10% of all start-up companies in recent years were established in companies alongside the research universities.
- . In the companies near the universities there was a decrease of about 10% compared to the year 2020. Compared to an increase of about 14% in the reports of companies near the research institutes. In 2021, 914 discoveries of inventions were reported to knowledge commercialization companies, about 607 of them in knowledge commercialization companies near the universities.
- in research budgets from external sources other than the current budget of the universities. This decrease is recorded for the second time in the last two years. In 2020 there was a decrease of 122 million NIS and in 2021 103 million NIS. (In 2019 there was actually an increase in the budget of NIS 106 million).
- decrease in expenses. In 2021, a nominal decrease of 4.2% was recorded in research expenditures fromseparate budget, following a 4.8% decrease in 2020. The decrease was recorded in all expenditure items except for the purchase Materials (3.6%). The decrease in total expenses was due to a decrease in purchase expenses equipment (13.2%-), Laboratory services (10.3%-), in installments overheads (2.1%-), and in my payments wage (2.0%-) which is 39.2% of the total expenses.
Original applications for registering patents in Israel and abroad
| - | 2120 | 2020 |
| Total | 701 | 656 |
| Companies near universities | 527 | 497 |
| Companies near hospitals | 103 | 104 |
| Companies near research institutes and colleges | 71 | 55 |
The highest number of applications for patent registration submitted in companies near the universities was in 2021.
Original applications for registering patents in Israel and abroad in companies near the universities
The number of applications approved in 2021 (regardless of the year of submission), increased by about 9% compared to those approved in 2020.
A number of original patent applications approved in Israel and abroad
| - | 2120 | 2020 |
| Total | 687 | 628 |
| Companies near universities | 523 | 488 |
| Companies near hospitals | 72 | 84 |
| Companies near research institutes and colleges | 92 | 56 |
Revenues of knowledge commercialization companies, by type of revenue, 2020
Millions of NIS
| - | Total | Income from the sale of intellectual property (1) | Income from other activities of the company (2) |
| Total | 1,101 | 453 | 648 |
| Companies near universities | 959 | 385 | 574 |
| Companies near hospitals | 66 | 34 | 32 |
| Companies near research institutes and colleges | 76 | 34 | 42 |
- Income from the sale of intellectual property includes: the sale of patents, royalties, options, license fees, income from ownership of start-up companies (dividends, profits from the sale of start-up companies, etc.) and other income from intellectual property.
- Income from other activities includes: research contracts and grants, foreign studies, use of laboratories, from tests, income from chief scientist, refunds for issuing a license, etc.
Revenues in companies near the universities were particularly high in 2012.
Income from intellectual property in companies near the universities
Knowledge commercialization activity indicators for the years 2016-2020
| - | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Several new license agreements | 550 | 498 | 339 | 267 |
| Several approved patents | 628 | 666 | 467 | 660 |
| Several new startups | 75 | 76 | 56 | 39 |
| Income from intellectual property (in millions of NIS) | 453 | 588 | 872 | 1,329 |
| Other revenues (in millions of NIS) | 648 | 745 | 683 | 679 |
