The Transfer of University Software for Industry Use

Computer-aided engineering software is generated in abundance in educational institutions. As a major source of design automation software, universities have a lot to offer: a progressive research environment; a seemingly inexhaustible supply of software engineers in the form of undergraduates, graduate engineers, and professors; and a no-risk, multi-disciplinary design lab for experimentation. For these reasons, university software is being widely sought for use in production/commercial environments. This paper examines the interface between industry and the universities during the transfer of design automation software. A printed circuit board router, a graphics subroutine library, and a circuit simulation program are used to illustrate issues arising from the technology transfer. Guidelines to increase the likelihood of success in such transfers of software are provided.