New Jobs & Skills in the Area of Cluster Development in Greece – NKUA

Study Visit, Athens, 23 -24 April 2013

National & Kapodistrian University of Athens

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens was founded on 3 May 1837

It was the first University not only in the newly- established Greek State but also in all the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean in general

At the present time, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens consists of 32 Departments, 241 Laboratories, 66 Clinics 6 Central Libraries

The Members of the Academic Staff are 2,000 in total

Students of the University number are approximately 55.000.

NKUA Infrastructure

The NKUA has at its disposal an extensive infrastructure that includes:

Specially developed rooms with modern mediums of high technology

Computer Center and Network Service Center Numerous, fully equipped laboratories (140 in total) Libraries equipped and updated regularly with a large

volume of books, periodicals and electronic material, the latter networked with one another

Liaison Office of NKUA The Liaison Office of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)

was founded in 1996 under the auspices of the EPET ΙΙ Program of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology. Its goal is to bring together research conducted at the University with the industrial sector.

The Liaison Office was awarded funding from the General Secretariat of Research and Technology under Activity 4.2.3 of the 3rd European Community Support Framework Program for the Development of Technology Transfer Offices at Universities, Technological Education Institutes, and Research Centers, which enabled it to embark on an ambitious new program covering the period from 1/1/2004 to 31/12/2006.

The Liaison Office provides a vital service by building and fostering a close relationship between the University and the world of business.  The Office promotes the utilization of research results and technology developed by the academic and research community, offering advice and support tailored to the needs of its clients. 

The Liaison Office is a formal part of the NKUA organizational structure, supporting the faculty, the research community, and the NKUA foundation itself.

Aim and Vision (1) Promoting research and commercialization of research

findings from the various research units and labs of the NKUA by businesses.

Providing timely, valid and credible information regarding the Universitys activities and capabilities (ongoing research, research outcomes and findings, services provided etc.) to all interested parties.

Providing technological and other specialized services to interested parties from outside the University.

Offering a variety of facilitation services to assist Greek businesses in identifying research of interest to them

Aim and Vision (2)Supporting the Universitys researchers with advice and consultation on how to

fund, secure and commercialize their research activities, through services such as:

- Submitting and helping prepare patent applications. 

- Helping negotiate, write and review contracts to ensure proper protection of intellectual property, patent rights, and third-party property titles.

- Monitoring the fulfillment of contractual responsibilities.  

- Assessing the commercial potential of research products or procedures.

- Assistance in searching for financial resources for funding research related activities of the University both domestically and internationally.

- Assistance in submitting proposals for financing research within the context of various Programmes.

 Informing industry about the activities of the NKUA and its Research Centers.

Activities (1) Facilitating and providing administrative support to technology transfer

agreements between the University and the private or public sectors.

Implementing programs and projects related to the management of intellectual property and proprietary technology.

Developing searchable data bases of research projects, laboratories, working teams, dissertations and businesses.

Promoting and publicizing research projects and research findings through conferences/meetings, training programs, specialized publications, publication of scientific periodicals etc.

Activities (2) Consulting on and providing promotional services, advertising

and marketing of the scientific and research accomplishments of the NKUA.

Helping to safeguard the intellectual property developed through the research conducted by the NKUA.

Advising faculty on how they can leverage their research laboratories in order to provide services under contract to business and industry.

Supporting the commercialization of research findings and establishment of Spin Off Companies.

Laboratory SupportThe Liaison Office offers consulting and

advice on the processes and procedures for establishing new research laboratories or centers at the NKUA.  The Offices support covers the following areas:

Advising on the steps required to be taken, as well as the supporting documentation required to be collected and submitted for the new laboratory

Assistance and support in ensuring NKUA regulatory compliance

Users of services Members of teaching

stuff Researchers Laboratories Enterprises of private

sector

Scientific areas1. Biology2. Medicine3. Chemistry4. Informatics 5. Pharmacology6. Geology7. Physics8. Mathematics9. Dentist10. Pedagogical

studies11. History &

Archeology

Laboratory Support  Analysis of the capabilities of

the laboratories in the area of services provision and participation in research programs and partnerships.

Development of a detailed guide to the NKUA laboratories which will be promoted to companies and external organizations in order to inform them about the services provided by the NKUA laboratories.

Setting up conferences for showcasing the laboratories to members of industry.

Accomplishments

The Liaison Office organized the Universitys participation in events, exhibitions for the promotion of products, services and activities of the NKUA researchers.

In order to keep the Academic staff and researchers informed, the Liaison Office sends e-mail updates including Invitations/Tenders announced by RTGS (Research and Technology General Secretariat) and other entities, as well as activities and conferences regarding research and technology.

Briefings and updates are sent regularly to researchers regarding, on the one hand, items concerning commercial exploitation of their research work (such as spin off companies establishment) and, on the other hand, items related to national programs for research funded by the RTGS (Research and Technology General Secretariat), such as AKMON, PRAKSE, and PENED.

In addition, the Liaison Office met with a number of Academic personnel who had requested specialized consulting support for the submission of proposals in the AKMON and PRAKSE Β programs.

Contribution to upgrade the infrastructures of the laboratories and NKUA institutes they work for and, on the other hand, enhance the cooperation with companies and organizations and, thus, provide financial benefits for their laboratories from the provision of services for hire.

Provides support for new researchers training and dissertation preparation. Researchers at the NKUA have shown great interest in this program.

Intellectual Property & Patents

The Liaison Office services for Academic personnel and researchers in the area of intellectual property and protection includes advice and assistance in the preparation of patent applications as well as consulting on identification of intellectual property.

Academic staff and researchers of the NKUA should submit any requests for patent submissions to the Research Committee via the Liaison Office.

In Greece, the Industrial Property Organisation (OBI) is the sole body responsible for protecting intellectual property, which it does by means of issuance of the following:

Patents Patents of Addition (PoA) Utility Model Certificates (UMC).

Contracts The Liaison Office both initiates and supports

efforts to link research with industry. The objective is secure contracts between researchers or research groups and companies or entities in the industrial sector of the economy.

The Liaison Office works with companies and other entities in order to develop opportunities for sponsored research.

Contracts Agreements Since 2012 35 contracts

Total Amount 6.500.900,95 €

Participation in Research Programs

PRAXE AKMWN

CONTRACTS

Actions for Spin-off Companies The Liaison Office initiated

an effort to identify research which might lead to the development of innovation products, as part of the PRAKSE program of the GSRT

1st:Identify research with

commercial potential

2nd:Create a List of Priority

Candidates.

3rd: Create Business Plans.

4th: Locate funding

5th:

Support the formation of the Spin-off companies

Actions for Spin-off Companies1. Strategy for the

development of spin-off

2. Preparation of report 3. Creation of Target List4. Business Plan5. Fund Raising6. Consulting

Report about possible commercial research products

Target List 6 Spin Off

Companies