Episode #33: Technology Transfer

In this special live episode of the ASEF Podcast, recorded at Dragon Days in Celje, we hosted Michael Stucky - a partner at Serpentine Ventures, visiting from Zurich, Switzerland, and Jure Vindišar - Head of Technology Transfer at the National Institute of Biology in Slovenia.

We delved into the concept of technology transfer, which is all about creating real-world impact from cutting-edge research. This encompasses things like university spin-outs and licensing intellectual property for the purpose of bringing scientific innovations to the market. Tune in to hear inspiring stories of deep-tech entrepreneurship from Slovenia and Switzerland, the importance of innovation clusters, insights from Mario Draghi’s recent report on the EU's competitiveness, and a broader perspective on what it takes to build a thriving technology transfer ecosystem.

The conversation was conducted by ASEF Junior Fellow Frenk Dragar.

Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction and welcome of guests Michael Stucky and Jure Vindišar
• 00:01:12 - Definition of technology transfer
• 00:02:03 - Jure’s experience in tech transfer at the National Institute of Biology and initiatives in Slovenia
• 00:06:11 - Michael’s experiences with university spin-outs and tech transfer
• 00:09:46 - Comparison of Slovenian and Swiss tech transfer ecosystems
• 00:25:19 - Learning from US tech transfer practices, Slovenian delegation on knowledge transfer to the USA
• 00:32:00 - Discussion on the Draghi report and its implications for Europe’s innovation strategy
• 00:37:10 - Cultural, financial, educational, legislative aspects of KTT
• 00:50:00 - Encouragement for aspiring science-preneurs