Introduction
The article “Technology Commercialization at the Massachusetts General Hospital” discusses the issues surrounding the mission of the MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) Center for Systems Biology (CSRL) office and the measures of its success. The CSRL office was created to promote the commercialization of technology developed at MGH.
Many have raised concerns about whether this mission is appropriate for a non-profit academic institution. The article by West and Ashiya (2004) does not give a clear outcome to the discussion about the mission of the CSRL office and the measures of its success. However, it highlights the differing viewpoints and concerns of critics and supporters.
Mission of the CSRL Office
The first debate centered on the mission of the CSRL office was whether it was appropriate for a non-profit academic institution to prioritize the commercialization of academic research. Critics have argued that the CSRL’s focus on commercialization could reduce the quality and quantity of basic research done at MGH (West & Ashiya, 2004). However, proponents have argued that commercialization is necessary to translate the research done at MGH into practical applications that can benefit society.
Success Metrics
The second point of discussion was on the issue of measuring the success of the CSRL office. Some have argued that success should be measured by the number of registered patents and the amount of revenue generated from licensing agreements (West & Ashiya, 2004). Others have suggested measuring the success of the CSRL office in terms of its impact on patient care and public health.
Technology Commercialization
The third discussion point was related to the commercialization of the technologies discussed in the article and the impact of conflict-of-interest policies. MGH had a strict conflict of interest policy to ensure technology commercialization did not jeopardize academic research or patient care (West & Ashiya, 2004). However, some argued that this policy was too restrictive and hindered the development and commercialization of technology at MGH.
Conclusion
The article concludes by highlighting the growth and importance of research activities at MGH, the vulnerability of research activities to fluctuating levels of NIH funding, and the role of technology transfer in research funding. The article also discusses the debate surrounding the mission of the CSRL office and the importance of balancing revenue generation with the mission of the hospital and the services provided to investigators.
Reference
West, J. & Ashiya, M. (2004). Technology Commercialization at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Harvard Business School, 1-29.