Alumni Involvement in Technology Transfer Processes

About the project

• The purpose of the project is to involve alumni (former students, employees, and researchers of organizations) in the day-to-day operations of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) in scientific research institutions. The project aims to establish an infrastructure of alumni’s involvement in technology transfer processes, especially in technology screening and in technology commercialization processes.
• A joint national project that involves a close collaboration between research institutions in Germany: The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). It also involves the Technical University of Dresden (TUD) as a partner that engages its spin-off activities through dresden|exist and its graduate academy.
• A 3-years project that is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Expected results

By activating alumni network, we want to explore the usability of new innovations that society could greatly profit from and to explore suitable commercialization strategies through the existing network. Therefore, a suited technology transfer model between Technology Transfer Offices and Alumni will be proposed to close the existing gaps between research and industry.

Are you KIT or HZDR alumni? Please click here.
Are you currently working in technology transfer offices? Please click here.

Alumni

The idea behind the project

Over the years, the gaps between research-based institutions and industrial demand can be identified and have continuously occurred from time to time. Therefore, HZDR and KIT are working together hand-in-hand as an attempt to close the existing gaps in order to generate more market-based innovations. We want to involve former students, employees, and researchers of our organizations to create new synergies between business and research.

What are the next steps?

Striving for a better implentation model and for a successful pilot project, we want to reach out business professionals who are familiar with their former institution and are currently employed in a company. We are currently conducting interviews with HZDR/KIT alumni to gain new ideas on how to build a better bridge between research and business.

We need your ideas and your expertise!

You have spent your memorable time at HZDR/KIT and you have acquired the experience in bringing your academic expertise into the real business world? You are HZDR/KIT alumni who are currently working in a company and are interested to be a part of this project? We will be happy to hear from you. Together, we can build a new foundation to bridge the existing innovation gaps between research and business.

Thank you for your engagement

Please submit your interest to one of the given e-mail addresses below, according to your alma mater, or you can express your interest directly through a phone call.

We are looking forward to welcome you to be a part of something great and thank you for supporting us to bring innovation one step forward!

Technology Transfer Offices

Are you currently working in technology transfer offices? Have you been involved in a project collaboration that involves alumni of any organizations? Have you heard about alumni involvement in any technology transfer processes or any existing relationship mechanisms between alumni and Technology Transfer Offices? Please do not hesitate to inform us of any relevant information.

Scope of the Information

Interested parties are invited to submit any relevant information in terms of: 1) alumni involvement in any technology transfer processes or 2) any existing relationship mechanisms between alumni and Technology Transfer Offices.

Submission of information

Please submit your information in electronic form to one of the given e-mail addresses below specifying „TTO Alumni – Info“ as the subject of your e-mail. All relevant information that could assist us to bring the project forward will be highly appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further questions.

Thank you for supporting us to bring innovation one step forward!

Contact Persons

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology                                                    
Dagmar Vössing
Innovation and Relation Management (IRM)                                                                                 
Tel: +49 721 608-25582
E-Mail: dagmar.voessing∂kit.edu

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Caroline Obermeyer
Technology Transfer and Legal Affairs
Tel: +49 351 – 260 2062
E-Mail: c.obermeyer∂hzdr.de