Inspiring Exchange of Experience Between the World of Science and Business. IP & Innovation Day at Gdańsk Tech
The event IP & Innovation Day – held on April 3rd at our university – concluded the Intellectual Property & Innovation Days at the three universities in Gdańsk: University of Gdańsk, Medical University of Gdańsk, and Gdańsk Tech. This joint initiative of the university Technology Transfer Centers aimed to raise awareness within the academic community about intellectual property protection, broadly understood commercialization of scientific research results, and to facilitate networking between representatives of the scientific and business communities.
The event IP & Innovation Day – held on April 3rd at our university – concluded the Intellectual Property & Innovation Days at the three universities in Gdańsk: University of Gdańsk, Medical University of Gdańsk, and Gdańsk Tech. This joint initiative of the university Technology Transfer Centers aimed to raise awareness within the academic community about intellectual property protection, broadly understood commercialization of scientific research results, and to facilitate networking between representatives of the scientific and business communities.
IP & Innovation Day at Gdańsk Tech was opened by Aleksandra Kocińska, the event coordinator from CTT, followed by official welcomes to the participants present in the conference room of the Hydromechanics building by Prof. Justyna Kucińska-Lipka, Vice-Rector for Development, and Paweł Lulewicz, Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Dual Use Technologies, Acting Director of the Technology Transfer Center.
Various Models of Technology Implementation in Industry
The Technology Transfer Center at Gdańsk Tech presented three inspiring examples of technology development from our university in the form of panel discussions, based on different commercialization scenarios: concluding a licensing agreement, establishing a spin-off company, and contract research conducted based on analysis of the contracting company’s needs. The panel discussions were moderated by PhD Eng. Elwira Brodnicka from the Faculty of Management and Economics.
In the first panel session titled “Challenges on the Path to Licensing Technology in Industry on the Example of the Bio-Plastic NOPLA,” the company Bio Plast Pom sp. z o.o. was represented by the company president Robert Szwabis and vice-president Piotr Nadolski. The scientific team from Gdańsk Tech was represented by PhD Eng. Maciej Sienkiewicz from the Department of Polymer Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, while the Technology Transfer Center was represented by the then innovation broker Robert Bajko (currently serving as the project manager of Gdańsk Tech Startup School).
The session presented events and circumstances accompanying the initiation of cooperation with the company, including a lengthy negotiation process and talks with potential business partners, dynamically changing legal regulations, as well as a new model of agreement aimed at balancing and minimizing risks for the parties at various stages of the implementation process (de-risking), proposed by the innovation broker. Panelists repeatedly emphasized that a key role in successful implementation is played by a well-coordinated team and determination to pursue optimal solutions. Currently, the technology from Gdańsk Tech developed by Bio Plast Pom has a real chance to appear on international markets thanks to cooperation established with a global leader in the distribution of chemical raw materials and polymer materials.
During the second session titled “Technology Development in a Spin-off Company on the Example of W2H2 sp. z o.o. and an Innovative Pyrolysis Reactor,” experiences were shared by Prof. Bogusław Kusz from the Faculty of Technical Physics and Applied Mathematics at Gdańsk Tech and Sławomir Ćwikliński, innovation broker from CTT. Prof. Kusz presented the key events and milestones in the technology development path of pyrolysis so far, highlighting the important role of funding from the Innovation Incubator program and substantive support from the Technology Transfer Center at Gdańsk Tech. Despite a series of unfavorable events that occurred recently and uncertainty regarding further technology development possibilities in the company, the professor emphasized that teamwork, willingness to cooperate, and trust of the research staff in the CTT broker are most important in the commercialization process.
In the final panel session titled “R&D Work as Contract Research Tailored to Measure on the Example of Cooperation with Grupa Azoty S.A.,” the company was represented by Monika Gruszka, Head of the Wastewater Management Department, and Paulina Anasiak, technology specialist for biological wastewater treatment; representing Gdańsk Tech were PhD Eng. Joanna Majtacz from the Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Agnieszka Kania, innovation broker from CTT.
Because the contract signed with the company and its scope are covered by trade secrets, the speakers spoke in general terms about the nature of the cooperation and the most important milestones in the development of wastewater management optimization technology for Grupa Azoty S.A. The company representatives emphasized the importance of cooperating with professionals and experts in their fields who have innovative approaches to the challenges presented. They pointed to the Gdańsk Tech scientific team as personnel with extensive experience and knowledge, reflected in the solutions proposed for Grupa Azoty. One of these solutions, concerning the separation of a portion of the wastewater stream carrying a high ammonium nitrogen load, has already been implemented and brings tangible benefits to the entire wastewater treatment process.
The significant role of funding from the Innovation Incubator program was also highlighted, enabling the raising of the technology readiness level of the integrated nitrogen removal technology from wastewater — an innovation developed by the R&D Team under the leadership of Prof. J. Mąkinia. Synergistic collaboration and ongoing feedback from the implementation of planned stages and tasks enabled smooth progress according to the work schedule, including testing of the innovative technology from Gdańsk Tech, in line with the company’s needs. Further milestones in the contract research are still in progress, currently at the stage of scale-up to a semi-technical scale, utilizing the equipment available at Gdańsk Tech.
Business Speed Meetings
The second part of the event consisted of short meetings in the Speed Meetings format, which attracted interested research staff and company representatives. These sessions took place in an informal atmosphere, with active participation of innovation brokers from the Technology Transfer Center at Gdańsk Tech; according to participant feedback, they led to discussions that have the potential to result in new forms of cooperation at the interface of science and business.
Practical Workshops
The workshops during IP & Innovation Day at Gdańsk Tech were held in two thematic areas: prior art research and the use of the Innovation Readiness Level KTH IRL® tool for evaluating innovative projects with implementation potential.
Regarding prior art research, the workshops were led by MSc Karolina Szambelan from the Gdańsk Tech Patent Attorneys Team, who represents the PATLIB Gdańsk Patent Information Center at our university. Workshop participants had the opportunity to gain knowledge about using patent databases, their mechanics, and also engaged with examples of working with specific keywords that define technologies.
The tool used by innovation brokers was introduced to the workshop participants by Sławomir Ćwikliński from CTT. The KTH IRL® methodology sheets are very useful for assessing the maturity of a technological idea in various domains and also offer practical guidance on the research results commercialization process. Besides Gdańsk Tech scientific staff, representatives of other Fahrenheit Universities also participated in the workshops.