Technology Transfer at the ULB

Technology and knowledge transfer aims to ensure that the results of academic, fundamental, or applied research can find practical applications as useful and profitable products/services in science and technology, life sciences and healthcare, and humanities and social sciences.

The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) within the ULB’s Research Department provides this support to the research teams

The role of the TTO is to promote collaborative research and business development between the university and its external partners (businesses, public bodies, competition clusters, professional associations, etc.), as well as participating in local and regional development.

More precisely, the TTO’s roles include:

• contacting businesses with research findings that have practical applications, and organising direct contact between scientists and businesses through publications and events (lab visits, Lab’Insight meetings, etc.)

• technology transfer (negotiating licences, supporting the creation of spin-offs, etc.)

• intellectual property management (strategy for protecting research findings and applications)

• supporting project development: identification and evaluation of the technical and economic potential of research team inventions, patent applications, sourcing partners (especially in industry), industrial contract negotiation, securing funding, developing the specifications and budgets, and negotiating agreements, etc.

• supporting various themed projects launched by the university, especially in biotechnology(BioPark in Charleroi, Pôle Santé in Brussels), assisting communication and information technology, or even equipment.

• contributing to local and regional economic development: on behalf of the researchers, the TTO monitors regional calls for tender opened (Wallonia: especially competition clusters, as well as AST, InnovaTech and Picarré) and Brussels (Innoviris, as well as ABE, the Agence Bruxelloise pour l’Entreprise)

• The TTO is also highly active as part of LIEU, the technology transfer and development network for French speaking universities and Colleges of Higher Education in Belgium.