What we do?

  • We help people act with insight.
  • We help companies grow from the inside.
  • We help employees turn into thinkers.

We ignite thought

If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it. Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possesses the whole of it. He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.

--Thomas Jefferson
on Patents and Freedom of Ideas

Services > University-Industry Collaboration

In a globally connected world, universities and industries can no longer survive in splendid isolation. Without active collaboration with universities on research and technology, the next generation technology and business leaders cannot understand the most important issues facing society leave alone find solutions to those issues. The time has come for both universities and industry to reassess their traditional roles and find innovative ways of creating synergistic partnerships between the two. In this University-industry collaboration is the key factor.

Acadinnet's collaboration related services include matching technology experts to industry needs, and assisting in setting up university-industry collaborative projects where intellectual property creation is a key factor. Acadinnet also carries out SWOT analysis for engineering colleges to enhance their appeal to industry for university-industry collaboration.

In specific cases, under an agreed upon contract signed by all parties involved, Acadinnet may accept to be an intermediate partner in a university-industry collaboration project. In such cases, Acadinnet may provide such services as S&T consultancy, proposal and/or report writing, software development, conduct research in specific areas, facilitate intellectual property protection, project monitoring activities, etc. as agreed upon.

Acadinnet can complement the efforts of the National Science Foundation of the United States' Innovation Corps (I-Corps) initiative through its mentoring program.

Acadinnet's engagement policy


When Acadinnet is an intermediate partner, it will reserve the right to terminate its participation in the collaborative project if either of the other two parties indulges in unethical practices in relation to scientific publication and/or matters related to intellectual property rights, by providing a written notice of such termination. Where ethical practices allow a member of Acadinnet to be listed as an author in a document or listed as an inventor in a patent application or receive awards and/or honors as a result of the said member's participation in the collaborative project, such opportunities will not be denied to said member unless voluntarily renounced by the said member. Non-payment of dues to Acadinnet, in violation of the signed contract, may result in Acadinnet unilaterally withdrawing from the project without any liability devolving on Acadinnet or any of its associates, or members, or employees.




1 Web site of NSF I-Corps, http://www.nsf.gov/index.jsp . "The NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program will bring together the technological, entrepreneurial, and business know-how to bring discoveries ripe for innovation out of the university lab."

Acadinnet Publications
Reality check on India's economic growth: Planning to fail or failing to plan
Rajendra K. Bera, Sunish Raj, Hiten Balsari
When worldwide, universities are transitioning to become engines of economic growth, the self-created domestic disaster of India's education system going into a free-fall in terms of academic standards and the irrelevance of the education it provides has been India's biggest bottleneck in realizing its economic growth potential. In terms of knowledge creation, scientific discoveries, technological inventions, and even in imparting education at all levels, there has been a rapid decline in quality in the past two decades, leaving the country with an acute shortage of employable, university educated knowledge workers. Skill gaps are alarmingly high where higher-order skills are needed. Skill shortages in most industries continue to plague the growth of the Indian economy. Given these ground realities, rather than becoming the world's third largest economy by 2030, it is likely that India's economy will head towards a meltdown by then.

ISBN 978-3-8484-2573-0, Paperback

The book is now on sale; see http://www.amazon.com/Reality-check-Indias-economic-growth/dp/3848425734

Comments on the Draft Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan of India
Rajendra K. Bera, Sunish Raj, Hiten Balsari
In this critique of the Planning Commission's draft Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan, the authors focus on two key aspects of the Indian economy - its rapidly declining education system, and its lack of a robust intellectual property system. If India is to maintain its economic growth these two systems must be overhauled thoroughly and quickly. We reason, barring a miracle, that India has no reasonable chance of becoming a country with the third largest GDP in the world in the coming two decades.
Read more
Intellectual Property Lecture Abstracts
On innovation
In a competitive world where economic survival depends on being innovative, significant problems generally require beyond the state-of-the-art knowledge to find a solution. That is why competitive advantage devolves on societies which provide quality university education, foster well-complemented university-industry R&D collaborations, and are willing to welcome brains-in-circulation from anywhere in the world. Most people seem to forget that R&D and innovation are twin sisters.
Part I Copyright, trademark, trade secret
Some basic aspects of intellectual property rights related to copyright, trademark, and trade secret will be discussed. Patents will be discussed in the next lecture.
Part II Patent
This lecture will cover matters related to patentability, who can be named as an inventor in a patent, and ownership of patents. Important aspects related to the preparation of a patent application will also be discussed.
Part III Patent prosecution
Prosecution is the process by which a patent application is defended before the patent office before it takes a decision on the patent application. The process is both time consuming and rigorous. It typically consists of arguing in writing with an examiner about claims: over prior art, technical details, legal precedents, and claim language specifics. Important aspects related to patent prosecution will be discussed.
Part IV Infringement & litigation
Getting patents which will be found valid, enforceable and infringed when involved in patent infringement litigation are crucial. Infringed patents can be enforced through litigation; a patent is essentially the right to sue. Infringement and litigation is mainly about the power to regulate the manner in which goods and services are sold; it is not about the way people use those goods and services. Getting a patent and getting an enforceable patent are two different things. Important aspects related to infringement and litigation will be discussed.
Part V The 'Bayh-Dole' Acts
The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 enacted in the U.S. in 1980 has been emulated by several other countries. After years of expectation, India too introduced a similar bill titled "Protection and Utilization of Public Funded Intellectual Property Bill 2008" in the Rajya Sabha on December 15, 2008. We examine the possible impact of the bill should it become law in light of experiences in the U.S. and Japan.
Read more