If 2014 was the year to consolidate the new Technology Transfer model, 2015 was the year of the launch of the CRG’s new innovation strategy under the leadership of the Technology and Business Development Office (TBDO).

The new CRG Technology and Business Development Office has been launched with its own website for comprehensive communication of its activities to its main stakeholders. Moreover, inventors have access to a new tool to communicate their inventions via web through our newly- developed inventor portal.

A number of initiatives focusing on different approaches were successfully launched throughout 2015. Under the ‘Training, communication and awareness in technology transfer’ approach, the successful organization of the 2nd running of the Bio-Business School, as well as the organization of different talks in the context of the brand new ‘Entrepreneurs club’, deserve mention. As for the ‘Entrepreneurship’ approach, we find the ‘S2B Concept Challenge’, an initiative that celebrates the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among our CRG researchers and collaborators with a view to stimulating early investment in CRG-grown concepts. Also within this approach is the ‘Entrepreneurs-in-residence program’ designed for experienced and successful entrepreneurs to:

• 1) Launch a start-up based on technology and know-how already available at CRG; or
• 2) Take their new technology and know-how to the next level, by leveraging CRG scientific support and infrastructure.

Finally, the ‘Valorisation’ approach includes the ‘Commercialisation Gap Fund’ (CGF) initiative to accelerate the commercialisation of technologies developed at, or assigned to CRG by providing funding to bridge the gap between research and the marketplace in the absence of an industry sponsor or investment partner. Four projects were selected for funding in 2016 from 12 initial submissions.

In addition to these programs, it is worth highlighting that the number of Record of Inventions and patent fillings from the prior year has been maintained, while the number of transactions successfully negotiated has increased by 35% over the previous year. In terms of the economic impact on the CRG, the TBDO has negotiated and secured:

• a) 130,707 € from services agreements (an increase of 100% over 2014)
• b) 211,125 € from direct licensing income plus 25,000 € in in-kind rights (an increase of more than 400% over 2014)

Additionally, the intellectual property rights negotiations for sponsored research collaboration agreements has increased by 600% from 2014, representing a total of 1,954,397 €.