Call for Proposals to Support and Build Capacity in Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs)
On 26 July 2022, the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), through the Director General for Industrial Property – Italian Patent and Trademark Office, issued a call for proposals aimed at strengthening technology transfer flows to businesses. The goal is to enhance the value and protection of industrial property arising from initiatives promoted by university TTOs. The call supports projects that build capacity and enhance the operations of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) at Italian universities, public research institutions (PRIs), and scientific hospital and care institutes (IRCCS). The aim is to boost the flow of technology transfer to the business sector, in line with the goals of Mission 1 "Digitalisation, Innovation, Competitiveness, Culture and Tourism", Component 2 "Digitalisation, Innovation and Competitiveness in the Production System", Investment 6 "Industrial Property System" of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The total funding available through this call amounts to €7.5 million, allocated under Mission 1 – Component 2 – Investment 6.
University of Bologna Projects
The University submitted two proposals through the Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO) within the Innovation Division (ARIN), both of which were awarded funding.
The 2 awarded projects are:
Feed-KT – Strengthening Knowledge Transfer in the Field of Bioeconomy
- Project Lead: Alessandra Baccigotti
- Division and Office involved in the project: ARIN (Innovation Division) – Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO)
- Funding: €6.00.
- Duration: 24 months
Abstract
The project aims to boost technology transfer by hiring two Knowledge Transfer Managers (KTMs): one focusing on the bioeconomy sector (KTM-BIO) and the other on new plant varieties developed through the University’s breeding programmes (KTM-NVV). These professionals will be trained to raise awareness and promote a culture of intellectual property among researchers, step up scouting activities, and implement effective strategies for protecting and leveraging the intellectual property generated through research. Their work will include establishing contacts with businesses to facilitate this process.
ExploitAction 4.0 – Enhancing Patent Exploitation at the University of Bologna
- Project Lead: Andrea Ravaioli
- Division and Office involved in the project: ARIN (Innovation Division) – Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO)
- Funding: €6.00.
- Duration: 24 months
Abstract
This project focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of patent exploitation by introducing a dedicated Innovation Promoter. The Innovation Promoter will support business development managers within the KTO’s thematic areas by actively promoting and enhancing the value of patents, with particular attention to those applications protecting innovations with the greatest potential for commercial exploitation, especially in the field of Engineering.
Call for the implementation of Patent Enhancement Programmes through the funding of Proof of Concept (PoC) projects by Italian Universities, Public Research Bodies (EPRs), and Scientific Hospitalisation and Care Institutes (IRCCS)
By decree of the Director General for the Protection of Industrial Property – Italian Patent and Trademark Office – dated 28 July 2022, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) launched a call to fund, exclusively with PNRR resources, programmes aimed at supporting the increase in maturity of patented inventions developed by research institutions, so that they may become the subject of development initiatives, in particular by the entrepreneurial system.
The financial resources allocated to the call amount to 8,500,000 euros, within Mission 1 “Digitisation, innovation, competitiveness, culture and tourism”, Component 2 “Digitisation, innovation and competitiveness in the production system”, Investment 6 “Industrial property system”, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
The projects of the University of Bologna
The University submitted an enhancement programme called “AlmaValue for RR – PoC for the valorisation of the University of Bologna patents in support of Recovery and Resilience”, which was approved for funding with notification from the National Agency for Investment Attraction and Business Development S.p.A. – Invitalia on 23/03/2023, followed by the grant award notice Prot. No. 0275289 of 27/09/2023, pursuant to Article 10 of the Call.
The 11 projects funded are as follows:
SHE-VALVE – Smart HEart Valve: innovative sensitised cardiac valve prosthesis
- Contact person: Emanuela Marcelli
- Funding: €49,600
- Duration: 18 months
EXTEND - Piezoelectric sensor, method and apparatus for guided waves inspections in real time
- Contact person: Luca De Marchi
- Funding: €44,800
- Duration: 18 months
WirelessLoc - Energy-autonomous RFID system for wireless localization in indoor and outdoor environments
- Contact person: Giacomo Paolini
- Funding: €36,800
- Duration: 18 months
NANOMED - Biomaterial-coated gold nanostructures for photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy of tumour lesions
- Contact person: Mauro Comes Franchini
- Funding: €44,800
- Duration: 18 months
DEVICE - Device for positioning organic tissue and related apparatus (DRIVE: Device foR posItioning oVarian tissuE)
- Contact person: Renato Seracchioli
- Funding: €36,000
- Duration: 18 months
O-DAMP - Device for impact absorption in helmets and related helmet
- Contact person: Giuseppe La Fauci
- Funding: €38,400
- Subject: Device for impact absorption on helmets and related helmet
AEMILIAprosthetics - AEMILIA Prosthesis – Advanced Engineering for MobILIty of Amputees
- Contact persons: Johnnidel Tabucol and Andrea Zucchelli
- Funding: €53,600
- Duration: 18 months
TECH-OECT - Sensitised electronic platform for in-vitro seroneutralisation diagnostic tests and vaccine development
- Contact person: Beatrice Fraboni
- Funding: €53,600
- Duration: 18 months
LATONA - Lactobacilli from women as biotherapeutic agents to promote the proper development of the intestinal microbiota and the immune system in newborns
- Contact person: Beatrice Vitali
- Funding: €40,000
- Duration: 18 months
SeAbacus - Experimental development of SeAbacus: wave energy converter
- Contact person: Elisa Dallavalle
- Funding: €48,800
- Duration: 18 months
LATTICE - Study and technological enhancement of an innovative large-scale 3D metal printing application
- Contact person: Giada Gasparini
- Funding: €33,600
- Duration: 18 months
