On the 17th of December 2024, the inaugural EUNICE Knowledge Sharing Day brought together all member universities, with 44 participants, on the topic of knowledge and technology transfer. This online event highlighted strategies for fostering academia-industry collaboration, managing intellectual property, and promoting innovation through entrepreneurship and student engagement.
The forum featured a series of presentations and roundtable discussions, offering valuable insights.
Presentations showcased diverse approaches. IPV highlighted its integration of education, research, and industry partnerships. UC shared its success with smart city projects and biotechnology spin-offs, while UMONS detailed its support system for spin-offs and industry networking. UNICT introduced a patent for microplastic detection, UoP emphasized its startup culture, and UPHF showcased mobility-focused industrial collaborations. Vaasa and BTU focused on energy and sustainability initiatives.
Roundtable discussions explored commercialization challenges, researcher incentives, and best practices in academia-industry partnerships. The forum set the stage for continued dialogue and emphasized the importance of aligning future meetings with existing university initiatives to enhance industry engagement.
One of the key takeaways from the event was the strong desire for continued collaboration among the participating institutions. The success of this inaugural edition has laid a solid foundation for future gatherings, with plans for an in-person event next year.
Looking ahead, the EUNICE Knowledge Sharing Day is set to become an annual event, further strengthening the shared mission of innovation and collaboration across academia and industry.
Pictures of the speakers
