Technology transfer from USI to industry increases

With the support of USI Transfer founded in 2021, USI and its connected facilities have concluded 40 new research contracts and 150 new agreements about technology transfer last year according to a press release. Furthermore, the university reported 13 assessed inventions, for which eight have had patent applications filed.

The new strategic unit USI Transfer is supporting USI’s aspiration to promote interaction between science and industry and harness the university’s knowledge for the economy and society. The aim is also to convert the results of basic research into innovations.

The recently established USI Technology Transfer Office works at this interface to protect and promote intellectual property created at the university, negotiate collaboration agreements with industry, and support the establishment of new companies. USI mentions its spin-offs Humabs Biomed, Algo4U, Fabula AI, MV Biotherapeutics, BigOmics Analytics, and Oncosence as examples of successful transformations from basic research to innovation.

According to the information provided, the fruits of the university’s collaboration with companies that are active in the region can above all be seen in the support it has received from Innosuisse. The Swiss innovation promotion agency distributed a total of 25 million Swiss francs to USI in 2020. Since 2019, it has approved 25 projects involving four faculties and twelve external partners.