IET president backs free access for SMEs to university IP

The president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology has called on the government to give SMEs open access to intellectual property created at universities.

In his inaugural address on 4 October Andy Hopper said: “Taxpayers are already funding the creation of innovative intellectual property in our universities, so it seems reasonable to make it more freely available to UK SMEs that are best positioned to add value and commercialise it.”