Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many items of intellectual property have been protected against exploitation; and what assessment he has made of the (a) financial and (b) other effects of the exploitation of intellectual property generated by National Institute of Health Research funding.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) recognises the key role of Intellectual Property (IP) assets in driving innovation, and the importance of a range of associated activities such as fostering a culture of invention through to collaborating with industry. The NIHR standard research contract is worded to ensure appropriate exploitation of IP.

For 2013-14, NIHR biomedical research centres and units reported a total of 98 patent applications granted, 106 licensing deals agreed, and 6 spin-off companies established.