“Big” science and Innovation: Patents, Data and Technology Transfer Policies in European Large Research Infrastructures

Science originates knowledge and downstream innovation. “Big” science is likely to, along the line, give rise to “big” innovation. Large research infrastructures are characterised by containing a large number of partners involved in complex networks of internal and external collaborations. This chapter explores how large research infrastructures (broadly defined) manage internally and externally the innovation they produce. It is the result of a comparative analysis of Statutes and policies documents publicly available of the current twenty-one large research infrastructures granted the legal status of European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). It uses ERICs as an example, to explore how large research infrastructures manage internally and externally the innovation they produce. In particular, it analyses knowledge transfer and technology transfer policies covering issues such as patent ownership, registration, licencing and enforcement, and data related issues.