Mobilising Partners in Technology Transfer

Our profession tends to become more interconnected and more complex. Should we face these new challenges alone or do we need to mobilise partners to help us striking the best deals ? What are the opportunities out there and how to identify the right source of expertise to be more efficient in our day to day activities ? Can we increase the visibility and hit rate of our technologies portfolio ?  By providing a window on some important or emerging players/tools in and around technology transfer, our goal is to help you finding the correct answers to these recurring questions.

A dedicated track covers the issues related to certification and regulatory issues not only found in drugs and medical device but also in food. Though most of us do not actively engage in this area, a basic understanding of the main aspects of these very important steps towards commercialization of research is becoming a pre-requisite for successful licensing strategies.

For all of you who are newer entrants to the field, or would like to fresh up some items, we are providing an introductory track which focuses on the licensing process, an important topic for all of us. We are grateful to Karen Hersey and Morag McDonald to bring an updated version of their acclaimed introductory track presented at our annual conference in Budapest, 2004.

Former President of LES France, Frédéric Caillaud is an expert in licensing trends and is currently leading a committee of IP experts in charge of the preparation of recommendations to the French Ministry of Industry in order to speed-up the development of a more efficient IP market. We are very grateful that he will contribute to our conference with an opening plenary. Next to him, we are very pleased to welcome Karl Koster, Director of Corporate Relations, MIT Office of Corporate Relations for the plenary session on Friday morning. Karl has a tremendous experience in dealing with companies interested in interacting with public research institutions and will   help us understand what the key drivers are to establish and maintain long term partnerships.

Located in a strongly growing economy, Valencia has strived in recent years. Buildings designed by world class architects are now   orming new parts of the city that complete its historical landmarks. The America’s cup choice to select Valencia as the host of the oldest trophy in international sports had a permanent impact on what is seen today as one of the most vibrant cities in Europe.