Best Friends Network

From lab to market: Strengthening the role of Technology Transfer Offices in bringing knowledge to the market is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes: Increased commercialisation of academic research results, by facilitating access for industry, startups and scaleups to the intellectual assets of academic research; Strengthened collaboration between industry and academia, reflected in an increased number of technology transfer deals and joint R&D projects resulting in market-ready innovations; Introduced more startup friendly intellectual asset transfer/licensing policies in universities/research and higher education institutions/RTOs; Increased number of spinoffs by enabling researchers to overcome the barriers to commercialising their intellectual assets; Reduced transaction costs related to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) negotiations by establishing more standardised asset transfer policies across universities/research and higher education institutions/RTOs; Optimised transfer/licensing processes by universities/research and higher education institutions/RTOs based on grouping intellectual assets in portfolios that can be commercialised in package deals that are more attractive for industry and investors. Scope: Academic knowledge producing organisations (universities, research and higher education institutions and RTOs) are acting as innovation engines by fuelling startups and industries with new knowledge, technologies and skilled individuals. This potential can be nurtured with efficient intellectual management strategies and effective Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs). However, Europe’s potential of research valorisation is underutilised. Currently, it is challenging for industrial actors to identify and access academic results that have potential for commercialisation. On the one hand, a relatively complex fragmented landscape of TTOs generates high transaction costs discouraging companies, especially startups from engaging in collaboration or accessing academic research for commercialisation. On the other hand, the lack of financial and non-financial incentives for academic researchers hampers their commitment. Indeed, in many cases, researchers cannot fully appropriate royalties from the licensing of intellectual assets and knowledge valorisation activities are not recognised for their career progression. In this regard, the Draghi report [1] recommends European universities/RTOs to adopt a more coordinated, commercialisation minded, and startup friendly intellectual asset management approach [2] . Participating beneficiaries should engage in the following activities: adopting startup-friendly intellectual asset management strategies; accelerating the commercialisation of academic research results under fair and transparent conditions in an attractive way for innovative companies and investors, in particular for critical technology areas related to the EU’s economic security; reinforcing the adoption of best practices in intellectual asset management [3] including the equitable sharing of value generated in R&I activities; improving the support to researchers and students in commercialising research results; enhancing intellectual asset management practices by establishing portfolio approaches to market intellectual assets in package deals; facilitating the collaboration between researchers, startups and innovative companies. More specifically, project participants should: Identify and share best-practices developed to support knowledge valorisation [4] ; On this basis, create a common set of tools for start-up friendly licensing/transfer [5] to be adapted to the specific national/regional context with templates, strategies, successful case studies and business models. The toolbox could include standardised rules and processes together with flexible and adaptable clauses to support negotiation, conclusion and implementation of licensing agreements; Develop a common incentives and benefit-sharing model ensuring incentives for researchers and students to engage in com Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Innovative Europe, European innovation ecosystems Keywords: IPR management, Market-creating innovation, Technology transfer

Bio-based innovation in society: supporting the sustainable way of living is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: advanced socio-economic transformation based on scientific/technological opportunities delivered by the bio-based sectors and bioeconomy. This will result in innovative bio-based products and services, supporting the more sustainable way of living (e.g. new socio-economic models), higher circularity, affordability, resource efficiency, climate neutrality etc); improved public understanding and engagement in bio-based innovation underpinned by scientific advances in life sciences and biotechnology; better living conditions for individuals and communities, benefiting from less polluted ecosystems, via healthier, and environmentally sustainable products and services with a reduced carbon footprint and based on circular and bio-based solutions. Scope: The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the European Commission communication on: Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU, the Strategy for European Life Sciences, the EU Biotech Act, Clean Industrial Deal and the policies related to the fair green transition (objective of not leaving anyone behind). It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups strategy. Synergies with activities under the Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE) Joint Undertaking and New European Bauhaus are encouraged. Proposals should address the following activities: develop the innovative user-friendly bio-based products and/or services, underpinned by biotechnology and biomanufacturing approaches, to support the more sustainable applications with a clear societal benefit, such as less resource-intensive consumer goods, to reduce environmental and climate pressures. Foresee the necessary links with the digital technologies and tools (e.g., bioinformatics, AI, etc.); assess the potential of new socio-economic models for circular and bio-based systems, integrating aspects of environmental justice, gender equality, diversity and social inclusion, as well as relevant international global best practice, via e.g. societal dialogue/innovation, social impact assessment, involvement and inputs from the social sciences and humanities (SSH); include research and innovation activities to understand and increase the level of current public perception and acceptance, including the benefits / risks, addressing the consumer perspective, market acceptance and understanding of the bio-based innovation, as well as delivering higher understanding of consumption patterns and social demands; foresee the cooperation and feedback loops with industry and authorities, in respect to any new market solutions proposed. The multi-actor approach is encouraged. Proposals should involve SMEs – both as project beneficiaries or external actors - and offer opportunities to newcomers to Horizon Europe Cluster 6, as well as engage with the civil society stakeholders such as NGOs and consumer organisations to advance scale-up and facilitate future market deployment. Cooperation with projects funded under parallel topics such as HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-07: Advancing the European bio-based innovation enabled by biotechnology and biomanufacturing concepts is encouraged to maximise synergies, while avoiding overlaps. Cooperation between all projects funded under this topic should also be foreseen, as a specific tasks, with an allocation of resources, for synergies. Proposals should integrate the gender dimension and consider other social categories besides gender (disability, age, socio-economic status, ethnic and/or cultural origin, sexual orientation, etc.), and their intersections. This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and involvement of SSH experts in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities. International cooperation is encouraged. Technology Readiness Level - Techn Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, Bio-based Innovation Systems in the EU Bioeconomy Keywords: Bio-based products (products that are manufactured using biological material as feedstock) bio-based materials, bio-based plastics, biofuels, bio-based and bio-derived bulk and fine chemicals, bio-based and bio-derived novel materials, Biochemical research methods, Biochemistry and molecular biology, Biodiversity conservation, Bioprocessing technologies (industrial processes relying on biological agents to drive the process) biocatalysis, fermentation, Environmental biotechnology, Environmental engineering, Industrial biotechnology, Materials engineering, Social innovation, Social sciences, interdisciplinary, Sociology, bio-based, bio-product, bioeconomy, biomanufacturing, biomass, biotechnology, fair transition