Beyond standard practice: Tailoring technology transfer practices through convergent diagramming

This study offers a new method for multi-stakeholder partnership managers to improve technology transfer processes and better manage people during those processes. The method, called convergent diagramming, enables partnership members to co-develop technology transfer practices through negotiation and discussion of shared trajectories and approaches. This study applies and shows the method's outcomes via a 130 person multi-stakeholder partnership case study. Findings reveal member derived technology transfer recommendations align with standard technology transfer model recommendations including the need for staff with appropriate technology transfer competencies and resources, early and collaborative technology transition planning, support for multiple transition paths, and monitoring through final technology transfer. The method's application also generated tailored practices, outside of standard technology transfer recommendations, including organization-specific technology transfer terms and acculturation events. Practice and policy recommendations include employing dedicated social scientists to facilitate collaboration and technology transfer, creating tailored technology transfer terms and transition paths, and implementing annual orientations and retreats to build a shared understanding of the partnership's technology transfer processes and outcomes. The research also highlights the need for future studies to compare multiple cases, explore long-term outcomes, and investigate the role of collaboration platforms, shared culture, and well-defined roles in enabling effective technology transfer.