IP licensing agreement strengthens Europe link

AgResearch IP licensing agreement strengthens links with Europe

11 December 2006

AgResearch has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UK based commercialisation company IP Pragmatics. The relationship will open up a host of opportunities for AgResearch to license intellectual property into and out of the UK and Europe.

IP Pragmatics (www.ip-pragmatics.com) will also assist in identifying new commercial opportunities to combine intellectual property from AgResearch and the InterAct partnership. The InterAct partnership is a collaboration of four leading UK Government research institutes: Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Central Science Laboratory, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory and Health Protection Agency, which IP Pragmatics manages on behalf of these partners.

AgResearch General Manager of Commercial Services Dr Ian Boddy says the relationship will work as a kind of business portal whereby IP Pragmatics helps establish and manage relations between AgResearch, potential clients and the InterAct partners.

“Until this point we haven’t had anyone representing us in Europe. This huge market is largely untapped for AgResearch and we are looking forward to some exciting developments over the next few years.”

IP Pragmatics has a comprehensive network of clients at government research institutes, academic institutions, life science companies and investor organisations in the UK and Europe. The company has secured a number of business development contracts with leading research organisations in the UK, Europe and Japan.

Additionally, IP Pragmatics will act as a conduit for intellectual property owned by UK or European based companies that AgResearch may want to license for use in New Zealand or Australia for the benefit of farmers and meat, dairy and wool processors.

“The agreement gives us the best of both worlds and means that we are far better internationally connected in terms of biotechnology IP,” says Dr Boddy.

Dr Boddy says that the pastoral sector was likely to benefit as a whole from the deal. “It will mean that we can give New Zealand farmers access to some of the most exciting technologies coming out of Europe. We can also commercialise our own IP in Europe when such an action does not detract from our focus on and ability to serve New Zealand industry.

“Any money we make will be reinvested in our scientific and technological base, thereby strengthening what we can do for farming, food and textiles.”

Already IP Pragmatics has assessed two AgResearch technologies – a fast and inexpensive test for diagnosing Johne’s disease and Foal Proof™, an equine pregnancy test.

“IP Pragmatics has given us very detailed and useful critiques of these technologies and has given us several potential licensee leads to follow up,” he says.

ENDS

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