We would like to highlight the importance of technology transfer from Catalan universities to the industrial sector, as well as the changes that are taking place to share knowledge and experiences between transfer offices through conferences.
Queremos destacar la relevancia que está tomando la transferencia de tecnología desde las universidades catalanas hacia el sector industrial, así como los cambios que se están produciendo para compartir conocimiento y experiencias entre las oficinas de transferencia a través de jornadas.
In the latest issue of our “IQS Tech Transfer Newsletter” for academic year 2023-24, we are seeking to emphasize the relevance of technology transfer in Catalan universities.
Without a doubt, much of this has to do with the appointment of Laia Arnal Arasa on 1 March 2023 as the Director General of the Knowledge Society, Transfer, and Territory, and the commitment of the Department of Research and Universities within the Government of Catalonia to promote transfer activities.
A few years ago, it was not easy to establish meeting spaces between Catalan universities to share experiences in technology and knowledge transfer. We sought references in Europe and the USA. Lately, however, we have seen how the landscape is evolving. Changes are taking place on two fronts. On the one hand, technology transfer activities to universities are increasing and, on the other hand, meetings, conferences, and seminars are beginning to be established that are highly oriented at highlighting this type of activity, sharing good practices, learning from the models of others, seeing examples from universities in other countries, reflecting together, and establishing collaborative links. All this is focused on the people who make these functions viable, beyond the role of the research staff who do highly focused research and seek the commercialization of new technology.
When talking about technology just a few years ago, the immediate association was to focus on the licensing of patents arising from universities towards the industrial sector. Now, everyone knows how to transfer knowledge and technology and it has a much broader scope. The creation of startups and spinoffs and the establishment of collaboration agreements with companies on issues of scientific research, technological development, and industrial innovation are currently recognized as ways to transfer.
Therefore, in our environment, these meetings have been emerging from the technology transfer offices at Catalan universities and other research centres.
Among them, I would like to comment on the 2nd Conference of the Transfer Offices of Catalan Universities, which took place at the UB on 13 June and of which I should highlight two highly interesting presentations. The first one involved learning about the collaboration model between universities and industry in one of Switzerland’s ecosystems, and was led by Giovanni Porcellana, deputy director of the Switzerland Innovation West EPFL. In the second presentation, Malcolm Brain, partner of Across Legal SLP, presented the potential impact of artificial intelligence on research and transfer, the opportunities that are already present, and the legal limitations. We’ll certainly be talking about Generative AI over the course of the upcoming academic year!
The Transfer Conference in Social Sciences and Humanities, which took place at the UAB on 9 May, was also particularly interesting considering its focus on enhancing research in the social sciences. We discussed its definition, the models that can be established, social impacts, collaboration between economic and social agents, quantitative and qualitative indicators and metrics, and more.
In both meetings we were pleased to be welcomed by Laia Arnal. And this reminded me that one of the first times I met her, I think it was in a conference in Vic, she mentioned during the coffee break that “IQS was already transferring before the concept of technology transfer was known in the university environment.” It truly made me quite pleased. There are many people at IQS who have preceded me and who have also made our commitment to technology and knowledge transfer to the industrial sector grow.
Have a great summer and a well-deserved vacation!
We’ll see you again in September!
Dr Núria Vallmitjana
Director of IQS Tech Transfer