NEICO

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			The topic The objectives The NEICO-schemes UPAS SAFE BUS InnoTULI™ The results The “Europeanisation” of the SAFE scheme The Valencian TRIP scheme The Milanese patent office The Paris X-INVENTION programme The PROSPECT-project in Dublin The „Patentschmiede“-project in Bielefeld The conclusions

			The innovation chain (as shown schematically) – the way from the research result to the marketable product. Scientists are aware of the possible value of their results and contact the technology transfer unit of their higher education institute where the results are collected and evaluated according to their innovation potential. If necessary, the innovations are patented in co-operation with external patent attorneys. In case inventions are promising, strategies for a commercial exploitation are elaborated, if possible on the basis of strong patents. NEICO schemes convey best practices in all areas of the management of research results. By this means gaps in the innovation chain can be closed at NEICO partner institutions as well as in all similarly situated R&D institutions.
			The overall aim of this pilot project is to stimulate the innovation process by promoting the use and exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), particularly patents, in European Higher Education Institutes (HEI). This results in a strengthening of the interactions between university, industry and the market and leads to more efficient exploitation of R&D results. Within the NEICO project, four pioneering schemes entitled UPAS, SAFE, BUS and InnoTULI™, all provided by consortium members, are adapted to the regional peculiarities of NEICO partner universities, tested within the framework of pilot projects and finally evaluated with regard to their performance. The Intellectual Property (IP) management schemes are disseminated on a regional level to promote their transfer to other HEIs.

			Transfer of the four schemes UPAS, SAFE/BUS and InnoTULI™ among the institutions involved in the NEICO project
			The overall aim of this pilot project is to stimulate the innovation process by promoting the use and exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), particularly patents, in European Higher Education Institutes (HEI). This results in a strengthening of the interactions between university, industry and the market and leads to more efficient exploitation of R&D results. Within the NEICO project, four pioneering schemes entitled UPAS, SAFE, BUS and InnoTULI™, all provided by consortium members, are adapted to the regional peculiarities of NEICO partner universities, tested within the framework of pilot projects and finally evaluated with regard to their performance. The Intellectual Property (IP) management schemes are disseminated on a regional level to promote their transfer to other HEIs.



		detailed information contact	A scheme provided by the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia to develop communication and R&D exploitation structures in a university. The scheme describes how to set up an "interface unit" (IU) which aim is to dynamise the academic and administrative staff and to stimulate innovation in the university. The IU provides services for researchers, reduces obstacles in the R&D management process and improves the communication between different groups throughout the university.
		detailed information contact	A programme provided by the Ministry of Research & Education of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) to promote the use of patents in NRW universities. SAFE is a systematic approach to source and evaluate inventions, including a first novelty search and the initiation of a patent application in collaboration with the inventors. The financing of patent applications is supported by public funds.
		contact	A programme closely linked to SAFE which helps inventors drafting a business summary for the presentation of already IPR-protected R&D results to the stock market or venture capital organisations.
		detailed information contact	A collaboration model provided by Finntech Finnish Technology which aim is to source, select and evaluate inventions and to give recommendations for a commercial upgrading. In the InnoTULI™ process, partly realised as a virtual team model, experts from different fields of innovation work closely together to find individual commercialisation strategies for each single invention.

Newly created structures/programmes for the knowledge management at NEICO-institutions, developed on the basis on the SAFE/BUS, InnoTULI™ and UPAS models


		detailed information résumé	The North Rhine-Westphalian SAFE scheme was transferred to the Spanish Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, the Italian Politecnico di Milano and to the French Ecole Polytechnique. As a result, the Valencian TRIP-scheme, the Milanese patent office and the Paris X-INVENTION programme were created.
		detailed information flow chart contact	1. The Universidad Politécnica de Valencia developed a new scheme for the management of intellectual property, called TRIP, which is based on the SAFE scheme. TRIP is used to evaluate and protect inventions originating from university research.
		detailed information flow chart contact	2. The Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) set up a patent office to support the patenting of R&D results originating from its research and technology sector. A new evaluation and patenting process for inventions was introduced at POLIMI, following the example of SAFE.
		detailed information contact	3. X-TECHNOLOGIES / Ecole Polytechnique adapted the SAFE/BUS scheme to protect the intellectual property of entrepreneurs in the local incubator. The newly developed programme is called X-INVENTION. The InnoTULI™ scheme was used for the commercial upgrading of inventions.
		detailed information contact	4. The Dublin Institute of Technology combined elements of the UPAS and InnoTULI™ scheme and developed PROSPECT, a structured national training programme for academics. It trains academics in business skills necessary to exploit their technology.
		detailed information contact	5. The University of Bielefeld created the “Patentschmiede”-project on the basis of the UPAS scheme, in order to increase the awareness for the economic value of patents.

The “best practice scheme” of     knowledge management
flow chart 1
flow chart 2

Implementing a
“best practicescheme”

The process from an idea to     commercial exploitation

The NEICO project demonstrated that the transfer, regional adaptation and further development of schemes for knowledge management at universities has been successful. From existing NEICO concepts and methods, partners have developed tailor-made solutions for their own university. A general “European best practice scheme” can be derived from these solutions.

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