Knowledge Transfer Fundamentals

09:00 - 09:45    Course introduction

In this opening session the Course Directors, shall outline what to expect from the days ahead and answer any queries you may have before starting out on three days of intense learning.

09:45 - 10:45    The Context for Knowledge Transfer

KT can be a complex and contradictory world. This session explores the pressures and challenges of the role and sets out the key stages of the KT process.

10:45 - 11:15    Coffee break

11:15 - 12:15    Patenting: what you should know

An introduction to the what and when of patenting academic findings and the key decisions along the way.

12:15 - 13:15    Finding and evaluating technology opportunities and exploitation strategies

Very few of the disclosures are likely to form the basis of a good patent: fewer still, maybe 1 in 10, have any commercial potential. Moreover, we simply do not have the time to simultaneously manage too many projects.

• How then should we: scout, screen, evaluate, and rank the disclosures and opportunities we receive?
• What exploitation scenario and strategy are most suitable?
• How should we reject the ones that we decide not to pursue?

13:00 - 13:15    Course Summary and wrap-up

13:15 - 14:15    Lunch

14:15 - 15:15    Introduction to licensing

This session offers a general introduction to the what, why and how of licensing and addresses some of the common matters you need to take into consideration when negotiating a licensing deal.

15:15 - 15:30    Licensing exercise: presentation

16:00 - 16:45    Licensing exercise: Case study group work

In this session, participants will engage in a group exercise focused on licensing through a practical case study. Working in small groups of 4 to 5, each team will analyse the case, discuss key licensing considerations, and develop their proposed approach or solution. This collaborative activity encourages critical thinking and application of licensing principles in a real-world context. Each group will present their findings during the debriefing session, providing an opportunity for shared learning and discussion.

16:45 - 17:30    Licensing exercise: debriefing

In the debriefing session, a spokesperson from each group will briefly present their findings, allowing for shared insights and discussion across all teams.

17:30 - 17:45    Question and answer session

19:30 - 22:00    Networking dinner

09:00 - 10:00    This session will provide a basic overview of the different steps needed to create an academic spin-out, covering topics such as: bringing the right team together, valuing the technology, and writing a business plan. Trainer: Otomar Slama

This session will provide a basic overview of the different steps needed to create an academic spin-out, covering topics such as: bringing the right team together, valuing the technology, and writing a business plan.

10:00 - 11:00    Basics of spin-off financing

This session will focus in on early-stage financing of academic spin-offs covering business model development, financing stages, equity, valuation and attached rights.

11:00 - 11:30    Coffee Break

11:30 - 12:45    Real life spin-off stories: KU Leuven

Starting a business, based on an academic finding, from the KTO perspective: the dos and don’ts for a KTO in the spin-out process.

12:45 - 13:45    Lunch

13:45 - 14:45    Knowledge transfer through research collaborations

More than 95% of the knowledge transfer from academia to industry takes place in your day-to-day research collaborations. In this exercise, learn more about the expectations of industry and academia when setting up a research collaboration and about the expectations of industry

14:45 - 15:30    Negotiation in research collaborations - Case study

The case study is based on a real-life situation. In this group exercise, we will explore the key issues encountered when negotiating research collaboration deals.

15:30 - 16:00    Coffee break

16:00 - 17:00    Case study debriefing

17:00 - 17:30    Question and answer session

09:00 - 09:45    Finding Potential Partners

In this session we explore how to develop a value proposition and begin to identify potential partners with whom we can explore the opportunity.

09:45 - 10:45    Negotiation tactics: theory and practice

In this session we discuss the essential theory behind negotiations and some basic tools for planning and carrying out negotiations in order to make them less daunting and more effective.

10:45 - 11:15    Coffee break

11:15 - 11:30    Introduction to negotiation case study

11:30 - 13:00    Case study : Negotiation

13:15 - 14:15    Lunch and farewell