Valorisation: From knowledge to industry

KNOWLEDGE EXPLOITATION
Innovation comes in many shapes and sizes and requires a diverse mix of talent and expertise. Apart from the cooperation with larger organizations, CTIT creates approx. seven high-tech spin-off companies a year. The research activities of CTIT already formed the basis for more than 55 start-up businesses. Important tools to speed op the expansion of these young ICT-based companies are:

-	the TOP incubator;

-	the CTIT Smart Systems Business Accelerator;

-	EIT.ICTLabs focusing on fast growth and internationalization of spin-off companies and ICT-based SME’s.

PATENTS

The University of Twente aims to protect know-how by means of legal instruments such as copyright, non-disclosure undertakings and patent law, in order to be able to exploit this know-how commercially. UT’s patent scheme (in Dutch) regulates the manner in which a patent is obtained. In addition, the scheme includes remuneration for individual members of staff and the research group: an incentive bonus, to be shared by the concerned inventors as well as remuneration of the individual inventors in case of licensing or transfer of the patent to industry.

Before starting this procedure, please always contact the CTIT business director (Iddo Bante, i.bante@utwente.nl). He will guide you through the patent application procedure in close cooperation with our partners Kennispark and Holding Technopolis Twente BV (HTT).

Firstly, Iddo will decide whether the idea will be forwarded to the patent committee of the university. Important selection criteria for the patent committee are newness, possibilities for industrial applications, market potential, time-to-market, needed protection, costs and time of the required research activities until the start of the exploitation, convincing strategy to protect the commercial exploitation of the invention. After the patent application, the UT inventor (or all UT inventors together) will receive a bonus of max. € 1500. Regarding the revenues based on the patent, the basic UT rules are:

-	Firstly, the patent revenues will be used to cover all direct costs of the application and maintenance of the patent. When all these direct costs are paid:

-	1/3 of the income is for the inventor(s);

-	1/3 of the income is for the research institute; CTIT will use this money for research and/or valorization activities at the research group of the inventor;

-	1/3 of the income is for the patent fund of HTT.

STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS

Students that are interested in starting a business can find more information here.