ASTP Annual Conference 2025

Founding academics are vital to the business in the early years but few leave their posts within the university. It is better for the company and the university, and the academic, if they keep a close association with both. However, this entails the academic wearing multiple ‘hats’ and creates the potential for damaging conflict-of-interest situations. What are the main sources of conflict, what problems can they cause and what is the KTO’s role in minimising, avoiding or managing these conflicts?

Moderator: Jeff Skinner

This workshop focuses on socially responsible and impact licensing as key tools for the societal valorization of research and innovation. The ILI Horizon Europe CSA Project is developing a suite of instruments to facilitate the adoption of impact licensing across the EU. One of the main tools is the quality label for impact licensing agreements, which will be showcased through use cases, highlighting how universities can implement it to demonstrate their commitment to societal valorization.  

Additionally, the session will introduce the impact licensing builder, a tool that helps technology holders select clauses in impact licensing agreements aligned with socially responsible guidelines. We will also present a screening tool designed to assess the societal valorization potential of technologies, with a focus on alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Lastly, the workshop will cover the development of an IP Pool for technologies intended for humanitarian crises, explaining how impact licensing facilitates access to technologies that comply with humanitarian principles.  

The session will be interactive, inviting feedback and suggestions from the audience on how these instruments can optimize societal valorization pathways within their KTOs/TTOs or universities.

Facilitators: Ivana Vuka, Johan Moyersoen, and Bruno Vandermeulen

Sometimes a collaboration will not end happily. There might be a violation of the contract terms, a different interpretation of the wording, or contradictory views on a key issue (e.g. IP ownership). Whatever the problem, it will almost certainly lead to unpleasant conversations and will require difficult negotiation to reach an agreement that provides a resolution.

In the session, you will be presented with some real-life scenarios and given a role to play in trying to resolve these, in an interactive workshop. Following the scenario exercises, the moderator will lead a discussion on how best to deal with the difficult real-world challenges that exist in dealing with commercial disputes, which, by their nature, are often stressful, subject to sudden changes and highly visible within the organisation.

The key aims of this interactive session are to enable peer-to-peer learning and to share some practical insights and frameworks, based on industrial experience, on how best to deal with these difficult and sometimes confrontational situations.

Moderator: Mark Wilson

Abstract: TBC

Facilitators: Malcolm Bain and Sigmar Lampe

Abstract: TBC

Facilitator: Frida Koslowski

Abstract: TBC

Facilitators: Tom Flanagan and Jurgen Joossens

Abstract: TBC

Facilitator: Jeff Skinner

It is almost twelve months since a seminal panel presentation at AUTM described the early work undertaken by NYU Langone (w/University of Glasgow) on AI led transformation of their TTO. The innovations, challenges and direction of travel of AI transformation as experienced from a selection of KT offices and businesses will be shared and discussed.

Speakers: Declan Weldon

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, where biology, medicine, engineering, mathematics, physics and IT converge, patient data stands as the cornerstone of groundbreaking innovation. As AI revolutionises diagnostics, drug development, and health outcomes, the potential of patient-driven insights grows exponentially. The use of patient data at a large scale presents novel ethical, legal, scientific, medical, and economic complexities and opportunities. This session aims to provide actionable insights for the successful development of innovative technologies based on patient data. We will discuss their full potential, showcasing real-world applications, intellectual property and licensing practices, and commercialisation pathways.

Through expert-led talks and dynamic discussions, we will gain deeper insights into ethically leveraging patient data to tackle pressing health challenges.

Speakers: Olivier Van Raemdonck and Miguel Angel Armengol

Moderator: David Silvestre

The focus on the number of spin-outs emerging from our research institutions seems to be ever-increasing. We hardly discuss license deals with established companies or the numerous research collaboration agreements between academia and industry. Why is that? Where does this focus come from? Management? Government? Researchers seeking alternative career paths?

Research institutions often place IP in the hands of barely existing spin-outs created by inexperienced entrepreneurs who receive varying levels of support from their TTOs. Are spin-outs always the best option for the valorisation of university IP, or do TTOs feel compelled to follow this path? What criteria are used to determine the valorisation route?

New spin-out policies and standardised deal terms have emerged in response to criticism from funders, VCs, and researchers. Some institutions have introduced express licences to stimulate entrepreneurial interest. In this workshop, we will discuss whether we are creating spin-outs for the right reasons or if our spin-outs mostly serve as “vanity metrics.”

Speakers: TBC

Leveraging AI to generate industry collaborations for research funding and licensing. During this presentation you will learn how to use AI to identify the market applications, companies and contacts that are most aligned to partner with your research.

Speaker: Chase Bonhag

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Speaker: Mat Kilbey

TBC

Development of a self-assessment tool for performance optimisation and skills management in knowledge transfer offices.

Speaker: Chiara Ricca

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Speakers: Jakub Jasiczak and Stine Skyun Kristensen
Moderator: Andras Havasi

Our panel discussion will explore how a group of universities or organisations can establish a shared, virtual KTO function to accelerate academic projects and ventures more effectively than traditional approaches. We will present innovative initiatives that employ a standardised approach and methodology to leverage shared resources and support a greater number of commercialisation projects. By sharing the KTO task in this way, a critical mass of otherwise underutilised projects can be developed, increasing efficiency and assisting institutions that lack the infrastructure for early-stage spin-out development.

Speaker: Julian Jantke, Syahirah Abdul Rahman and Gavin Clark
Moderator: Frida Koslowski

Join us for an insightful session on good practices for managing the transition between research and entrepreneurship, from pre-incubation to acceleration. This session will feature distinguished speakers running new venture-building programmes across Europe. We will share practical experiences on how to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and provide the right traction for the development of a start-up—from initial idea to investible company—and how to create a supportive ecosystem. You will gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced during the entrepreneurial journey and learn about the critical stages of entrepreneurial development, the role of mentorship, and the key resources needed.

Speakers: Magda Krakowiak, Robert Shimpf, and Trine Bartholdy

Moderator: Philip Grother

Abstract: TBC

Speakers:Isabella Longoni  and Olga Larionova

As artificial intelligence continues to revolutionise industries, it also profoundly impacts the IP and knowledge transfer landscape. Our expert speakers: a patent attorney and a lawyer, will provide you with current knowledge on patentability of AI innovations, the intricacies of attributing inventorship when AI systems drive innovation, the strategic choices on whether to disclose AI-related inventions or maintain confidentiality, as well as legal implications of AI Act on knowledge transfer.

Speakers: David Lesthaeghe and Malcolm Bain

TBC

Research funding programmes are increasingly focused on measuring the impact of research on the economy, society, policy, and the environment, posing new challenges for universities and other research institutions. As a result, support professionals are adapting to better assist researchers in designing and assessing the broader impact of scientific and technological outcomes beyond academia. Research Support Offices (RSOs) assist with drafting impact proposals, while Knowledge/Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) support commercialisation. Promoting new ways of thinking, exploring synergies between RSOs and TTOs, enabling creative multidisciplinary collaborations, and exploring evolving roles within support structures are essential to maximising the value of research and quantifying its societal benefits.

Best practices will be discussed in an interactive session, including the “Promoting the Impact of Research” training course in Italy, which builds expertise in managing research impact to support pre- and post-award activities. Additionally, the Research Impact Management Office (RIMO) at Imperial College will be highlighted for its integrated, creative, and ‘platypus-type’ approach, combining project management with bespoke dissemination and exploitation efforts. The session will encourage participants to share experiences and explore organisational models that enhance research support, aiming to increase the success rates of research activities and maximise their impact.

Speakers: Valentina Romano and Marta Archanco

Moderator: Alessandra Baccigotti

As sustainability becomes a defining priority for global progress, green innovation stands at the forefront of change. This interactive session invites KT professionals to dive into the dynamic ecosystem of green ventures, where investors, startups, academic institutions, and local authorities interact to tackle climate challenges and drive economic growth. In this session we will understand what the drivers in sustainable innovation are, how startups position themselves to secure funding and scale impactful solutions, and the role of universities and innovation clusters in advancing policy-driven sustainability agendas to integrate green technology and accelerate green economies.

Speaker: Edita Sužiedėlienė

TBC