TECHNOLOGY-TRANSFER IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD - COMMUNICATIONS

Support for research is increasingly dependent upon the results of tha t research having relevance to society's needs and public benefits. Th is increases pressure to move research results out of the laboratory a nd into the user's hands. To facilitate this, a variety of technology transfer mechanisms have evolved to facilitate transfer of knowledge a nd processes. These mechanisms, in addition to their implied benefits for the researchers and the user, often have certain consequences whic h are unanticipated and cause transfer to fail or not meet expectation s. Foremost, cultural change on the part of both private organizations and public laboratories is probably necessary to allow effective part nerships. Coupled with the transfer of knowledge is the opportunity to more effectively explain to society the benefits it receives for its investments in research. Such communication has not been especially su ccessful for veterinary parasitology. However, the revolution in commu nication (e.g. rise of mass media, computer networks) presents new opp ortunities to parasitologists to more effectively communicate both tec hnology and knowledge directly to the users, and also to inform suppor ters, policy-makers and the general public of the relevance and import ance of veterinary parasitology in improving society's well-being. Thi s review will discuss these new instruments of communication, the need to construct better messages, the benefits of technology transfer and the various means to meet the challenges associated with transferring research innovation to the user and the marketplace.