From the piece by Alberto Di Minin, Valentina Cucino and Nicola Del Sarto on Sole 24 ore Nova, here is a recap of the experiences they wanted to convey about TSD 2020.
The spotlights of the online event have gone out but the path is more alive than ever. The numbers show that this year approximately 1,600 participants attended the event organized by Netval with Politecnico di Torino and the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM) of MISE, of which 335 were opinion leaders and investors, as well as 42,000 online views . The numbers are important, even so better when the quality and content of the event of were also great. The TSD made it possible to present over 500 biomedical technologies patented by 80 universities, Italian research centres and IRCCS (Scientific Hospitalization and Care Institutes) and gave the possibility of highlighting 86 upcoming innovations authored by 33 universities and research institutes whose content was viewed approximately 7,000 times.
From the 3 days in mid-November, key elements for the successful world of technology transfer emerged:
- Simplicity : necessary and effective to transmit knowledge. Indeed, the Knowledge Share platform makes available the best that the third mission of public research has to offer and connects research groups and companies in order to enhance their results. Every single technology is presented in a concise manner so as to make it accessible to everyone, especially SMEs. “Equipping and animating a patent showcase is by no means trivial, especially if the contributors are 80 institutions including research centres, universities and IRCCS, 1300 patents on the platform and 1050 translated into usable language and published in two languages, 857 innovative users ( primarily companies but also individuals) who have registered on the platform, with a total of 80 contacts conveyed by the platform. The simplicity of Knowledge Share is therefore an important result, far from obvious “.
- Training: to provide the necessary skills to technology transfer (TT) professionals, those who must work effectively in the exchange of knowledge to advance innovative ideas. Although there is no national definition and certification, this profession is traceable to the Registered Technology Transfer Professionals (RTTP). The Italian context is gradually opening up to RTTP procedures, and this is undoubtedly good news, an important novelty that will allow the recognition of TT managers who have sufficient experience to add significant value on the basis of a peer reviewed track record.
- Attracting talent: in fact, in addition to the production of knowledge, public research must pay attention to the transfer of people. A central function in particular for SMEs, often struggling with constantly evolving contexts, with high levels of innovation and increasingly fierce competition. The production of new knowledge is not only the result of years of academic training, but also derives from the combination of skills that can cross paths in applied and collaborative research between universities and companies.
In this mix of three ingredients there is the success of Knowledge Share, the DNA of Netval and the motivation to follow this path that leads to combine public research with private enterprise still with renewed passion and competence.
Original Article: Il Sole 24 Ore – Nòva