STOA WORKSHOP
Knowledge Transfer from Public Research Organisations
UNIVERSITÉ LIBRE DE
BRUXELLES
Knowledge Transfer Activities
European Parliament
Brussels
February 29th 2012
• Founded in 1834
• Independent University: recognized by the government and publicly funded
• Comprehensive University: covering all disciplines and all study cycles
 13 Faculties, Schools and Specialized Institutes
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Law and Criminology, Social and Political Sciences, Institute of European Studies
Arts and Humanities, Psychology and Education, Architecture
Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management
Science, Applied Sciences/Graduate School of Engineering
Medicine, Motor Sciences, Pharmacy, School of Public Health
 1 Teaching Hospital, 1 Cancer Institute and a Network of University
Hospital Centres
 Erasme Hospital: 900 beds, 29 000 inpatients per year
 Bordet Institute
 Brugmann, Saint-Pierre, Queen Fabiola University Hospital for Children
• 4 Campuses located in Brussels and the Walloon Region
• Teaching: 24 000 Students (32% from abroad)
 Bachelor, Master, Post-Master’s Degrees (60 interuniversity courses)
 Doctoral Programmes: 1 600 PhD candidates
 Graduates : 5 280 in 2010-2011
• Staff: 6 389 FTEs (including the teaching hospital)
 Teaching Hospital: 2 800 FTEs
 Academic Staff :
771 FTEs
 Research Staff : 1 500 FTEs (786 on doctorate scholarships)
• Budget: 634 M€ (including the teaching hospital)
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE – A PREREQUISITE FOR KT
• Total Research Budget: 140 M€
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State Subsidies : 34 M€ (24%)
Research Contracts: 74 M€ (53%)
Research Allocations from FRS-FNRS : 28 M€ (20%)
Own Resources: 4 M€ (3%)
• Awards:
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4 Nobel Prizes : Medicine (2), Chemistry, Peace
3 Wolff Prizes: Mathematics, Physics
1 Fields Medal: Mathematics
1 Abel Prize: Mathematics
9 European Research Council Awards: Economics, Cellular Biology, Mathematics,
Artificial Intelligence, Political Sciences, Theoretical Physics
 9 Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP): Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology,
Biomedicine, Parasitology, Genetics, Neurobiology, Neurosciences
KT SERVICES
THE STRUCTURE
• ULB-TTO: Close Proximity with the Academic Researchers
 Serving exclusively the University and its Hospital
 Embedded in the University Central Administration as a Service of the
Research Department
 1 central office in Brussels and 2 local premises at the Erasme Hospital and
the Biopark Charleroi Brussels South Campus
• Governance and IP Policy
 Contributing to the definition and implementation of the University IP Policy
 Reporting to the Valorisation Board: Decision-Making Committee for KT
 Representatives of the Finance and Research Departments (TTO)
 Special Advisor for KT matters to the University Chancellor and President
 Co-presided by the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Policy and Research and the Vice-Chancellor
for Institutional Relations and Knowledge Transfer
ULB-TTO
THE TEAM
• Interdisciplinary Team of 18 Collaborators
 Management
 8 Scientific Advisors (Ph.D. or Eng.)
Thematic Specialization: Life Sciences, Chemistry,
Engineering, Materials, Environment, Energy, ICT
 3 Business Development Managers
(Solvay Business School)
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1 Legal Advisor (Law Degree)
1 Communication Advisor
1 Information Systems Specialist
3 Administrative Support Staff
• Strong Public Policy Support:
 Brussels and Walloon Regions
 European Social Fund (Mirval)
ULB-TTO
THE MISSIONS 1
• ULB-TTO: One Stop-Shop for the Full Range of Interactions with Industry
 Carrying the full range of KT activities – no information gap
• Mission 1: Fostering Collaborations with the Industry
R&D Contract and Service Agreements: 32 M€ in 2010
 Publicly funded collaborative projects from the Brussels
and Walloon
Regions having a strong focus on Innovation and involving industrial partners
Plan Marshall, PPPs, Competitiveness' Clusters
 Follow-up of the calls, information services
 Support in project set-up
 Consortium agreements negotiation/management
 Bilateral collaborations with industries:
Strategic Alliances, Service Agreements
 Partnership scouting
 Negotiation and contract drafting
ULB-TTO
THE MISSIONS 2
• Mission 2: IP Management and Licensing
+ Transversal Mission: Raising IP Awareness in the University
 IP protection
Inventions, Know-How, Software
Strong Regional Policy Support: Patent Fund
 Technology scouting
 Invention disclosure
Medical
Device
10%
Materials
6%
Engineering
5%
Tic
5%
Biotech/
Health
66%
Chemistry
7%
 Technological and economic potential assessment
 Patent filing, prosecution and enforcement
 Licensing (44% of the active patents in the portfolio are licensed)
Licensing revenues distribution: 3/3 Rule
Patent families portfolio
Market
Study Under
Progress
27%
(University, Research lab, inventors)
Withdrawn
34%
 Market studies
 Technology marketing, licensing opportunities
 Licensing
 Post-licensing management
Under
Negotiation
16%
Letter Of
Intent
Signed
4%
Transferred
19%
ULB-TTO
THE MISSIONS 3
• Mission 3: Spin-Off Creation
In strong interactions with other supporting actors
(26 Spin-Offs and 225 jobs created)
 Co-Management of the Proof-Of-Concept calls for projects
Strong Regional Policy Support: POCs Fund 500 000 €/Year (ULB-UMons)
 Eligible costs: Prototyping, preclinical validation tests, market and feasibility studies, …
 Selection committee: ULB-TTO, Umons-TTO, Incubators, Investment Funds
 Support to Spin-Off creation
 Review of business plan
Spin-offs
39%
61%
 Licensing - Equity management performed through Theodorus
• Partners of the process
Licence portfolio
 Theodorus: dedicated Investment Fund (Seed Capital & Holding 5,4 M€)
 Right of first refusal
 3 Incubators
Existing
companies
IMPACT OF KT
POLICIES
• University Policy:
 ❶ 1993 : ULB Patent Fund
University covers patent costs
 ❸ 2000: ULB owner of inventions
IP Policy in accordance with the Decree
 ❹ 2003: ULB Investment Fund
Dedicated Investment Fund for Spin-Offs
• Public Policy:
 ❷ 1997: Walloon Region’s Decree
Walloon ″Bayh-Dole Act″ like Decree
200
180
Number of
Patent
Application
Number of SpinOff
❺
40
36
160
32
140
28
120
❹
100
❷
80
60
❸
❶
24
20
16
12
40
8
20
4
0
0
Region Patent Fund covering patent costs
 ❺ 2007: Mirval project
Support from the Walloon Region and the
European Union for collective actions in
the LIEU Network
Cumulative Number of Priority Patent Filed
Cumulative Number of Spin-Off Created
NETWORK AND
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
LIEU: The Collaborative Network of KTOs
 Created by the Council of Chancellors in 2003
 Operational network for KT activities
 Development of Common Tools
 Invention Disclosure Form
 Laboratory Notebook
 Marketing Material – Thematic Brochures
 Consortium Agreements
 Organization of Common Events
 Lab’InSight
 Common Position towards Stakeholders
 Position Papers: Pricing, IP in collaborative projects
Professional Associations: Best Practices Exchange
AN INNOVATION CAMPUS
Quality
Research
Institutes
Clinical
Research
Technological
Plateformes
Industrial
Research
Life-Long
Training
Knowledge
Transfer