Scouting Public Lab Inventions: Bridging Innovation in Grand Est
About this good practice
In a university environment, many innovative research findings remain underutilised due to a lack of practical pathways for their transfer and commercialisation.
Conectus is proactive by scouting invention directly in the lab, through two main actions:
• Weekly Permanencies: These regular on-site sessions are conducted by Conectus business and detection officers, responsible both for managing industrial contracts and identifying innovative projects. With a dedicated office in the university lab, each officer aims to become an integrated part of the team, having regular contacts with directors, researchers, administrative staff and students. This permanent link enables Conectus to follow ongoing research and to spot potential advancements suitable for transfer.
• Educational Events: The same business and detection officers organise training designed to sensitize researchers on intellectual property protection, confidentiality, research-to-market transfer, strategic industrial partnerships… It helps to adapt mission and process closed to the lab expectations.
The objective is maintaining proximity, friendliness and mutual trust to faster our process.
Beneficiaries: Researchers receive ongoing support, guidance, and educational opportunities. Conectus (or the relevant tech transfer office) efficiently identifies innovative research results, thereby facilitating valorisation. Organisations and industries collaborate with researchers through more streamlined partnerships.
Resources needed
Overall budget of approximately 50.000€ per year:
- 4 business and detection officers by Conectus dedicating 10% on weekly half-day permanencies + 10% scouting research results
- Communication documents (posters, newsletters, etc...)
- Small events budget
Evidence of success
During their permanencies, a detection officer meets about 2 to 10 people, maintaining a close contact to the lab life. Training courses are tailored to researchers’ needs and attended by more than a dozen people.
In 2022, around 30% of Conectus detection of innovative research results in public laboratories resulted from this Good Practice. 24 detections led to 3 Record Of Invention (ROI) and to 1 maturation project of effective tech transfer.
Potential for learning or transfer
Conectus’ interpersonal and immersive approach helps scouting innovative ideas and transferable results in public research labs.
• Trust and proximity: maintaining a climate of trust and close relationships with researchers is essential both for detection and contract management. Researchers then feel comfortable seeking advice and assistance.
• Flexibility in scope: the ability to adapt support beyond the defined mission scope is crucial for addressing unanticipated needs.
• Integration with academic activities: coordinating training and support with ongoing academic events improves participation and integration.
• Political support: securing validation and endorsement from university and laboratory leadership is vital.
This scouting practice works over the medium and long term. It was expanded in 2024 thanks to the recently founded Alsatian University Innovation Cluster (Pôle Universitaire d’Innovation - Alsace, PUI-A), which employs 5 new full-time detection officers.
Further information
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
