A new report from Lux Research investigates the value of industry/university partnerships for research in nanotechnology.

Researchers usually don't complain about their working conditions, but they aren't keen on working in run-down labs. Trouble is, it is getting more expensive to build new facilities.

I had an interesting meeting with a senior executive in charge of strategy and business development at one of the major European media groups last Friday.

On May 12, it was announced that that an "innovative", "homegrown" digital signal processor (DSP) chip, to be designed and manufactured in China, was a fraud. Even more interesting is that the announcement was made by not by a Western agency or international body, but by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).

Nanochips will mess up the physics of electronics, so a bunch of universities will research ways to keep chips on the shrinking bandwagon.

Not only am I an ardent tracker of the IP landscape, but the opportunity to build a much-needed knowledge network with the leading European producers and consumers of IP is unique and irresistible.

The US Supreme Court has issued a long-awaited verdict in a patent suit between eBay and a small, Virginia-based company, MercExchange. The ruling was unanimous and favourable to eBay, reverting an earlier permanent injunction.

I recently had the opportunity to take part on an investor panel at the Total Telecom World Telecommunications Congress in Geneva. The panel featured both happy VCs behind new telecommunication technologies (VoIP, IP convergence etc…) and troubled telecom executives.

After years of failing to pay much attention to science, the UK Conservative Party has launched a new task force, headed by former science minister Ian Taylor.

Every little bit helps if you are a start up looking for market opportunities. Launchpad Europe has a methodology and a proposition.