The French «Technology Transfer Acceleration Companies» (Legal Aspects)

The article explores the legal status of «Technology Transfer Acceleration Companies (TTAC)», a public-scientific partnership transfer invented in France, which enables two or more universities, research institutes, etc., with the participation and financial support of public authorities, to transform jointly the outcomes of their research into new technologies and innovative products with the aim of marketing. Philosophical and general scientific methods in conjunction with specific methodology of modern jurisprudence and other social sciences (induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis; historical-legal, comparative-legal methods; empirical analysis, method of processing economic and statistical information, etc.). The article is the first in Russia comprehensive legal study of TTAC against the background of worldwide experience in the legal regulation of technology transfer from the scientific sector to business environment. The article demonstrates the importance, complexity and ambiguity of the technology transfer, including legal understanding of this phenomenon in various legal systems as well as at the international level. With respect to French law, the article delineates the meanings of «technology transfer» and of the broader legal concept «valorization» (of scientific research and its results). The author establishes, that in France which resembles Russia by its adherence to the statist (presuming an active role of public authorities) approaches in both scientific and economic policies, the creation of the TTAC can be explained by the aspiration of the French authorities to reorganize technology transfer on common footing, albeit with the help of non-command and administrative levers, but financial incentives (governmental grants in favor of TTAC). The article identifies the fundamental sources and principles governing the TTAC, their achievements and problems. In practical aspect, the authors puts forward a proposal to create the similar common transfer vehicles in Russian, initially as part of a legal experimentation.