Unleashing Knowledge Valorisation for Impact

In an ever-evolving landscape of research and innovation, actionable guidance is essential to harness the potential of intellectual assets. 

More than 210 participants from 25 EU Member States and 11 other countries joined the community of practice on industry-academia collaboration for knowledge valorisation. The Western Balkans' participants joined too. 

Members of the community represented a broad range of R&I stakeholders ranging from universities, research organisations, firms, technology and knowledge transfer offices to civil society organisations and policymakers. 

Based on the contributions from the communities of practice, the Commission intends to develop two codes of practice, which will support the Council Recommendation on the guiding principles for knowledge valorisation. These codes of practice will provide more detailed guidance on industry-academia collaboration and citizen engagement. 

The two codes are planned to be adopted as Commission Recommendations at the beginning of 2024.

Guiding principles for knowledge valorisation in short 

Let's distill these into key themes for a practical approach to knowledge valorisation:

Knowledge Valorisation Essentials

Knowledge valorisation is the linchpin that transforms knowledge, data, and research results into tangible, real-world solutions. It bridges the gap between ideas and societal and economic impact.

Beyond Patents towards openness

Intellectual assets encompass a broad spectrum of outcomes, including patents, copyrights, data, know-how, and more. Efficient management and broad utilization of these assets are vital for knowledge valorisation.

Open Science and Open Innovation drive knowledge valorisation by promoting open access to research data and publications. This fosters innovation and amplifies the overall value of research.

Entrepreneurship and Collaborative Innovation

Entrepreneurial skills, creativity, and collaboration fuel knowledge valorisation. They empower actors across the research and innovation ecosystem to co-create value and tackle societal challenges.

Incentives are pivotal in stimulating knowledge valorisation. Encouraging collaboration and skill development among researchers, innovators, students, and policymakers is essential for success.

Empowering All Ecosystem Actors with Societal Focus

The guiding principles extend empowerment to all actors in research and innovation, encompassing academia, industry, intermediaries, standardization bodies, and policymakers. These principles form a versatile framework for promoting knowledge valorisation throughout the ecosystem.

While non-binding, these principles spotlight the broader societal impact of intellectual assets. They encourage socially responsible licensing and contribute to sustainable societal objectives.

Resource Investment and Ecosystem Collaboration

Knowledge valorisation requires substantial resources and investment in knowledge transfer professionals. Encouraging SME participation and nurturing a culture of innovation are pivotal for ecosystem growth.

Promoting peer learning and benchmarking best practices is crucial. Adopting common metrics and indicators facilitates shared learning and continuous improvement.

Driving Progress through Monitoring and Evaluation

Collaborative efforts to establish common metrics and indicators support robust monitoring and evaluation of knowledge valorisation. This aligns with the broader European Research Area (ERA) monitoring frameworks.

Next steps

The two communities of practice on ‘Industry-academia collaboration for knowledge valorisation’ and on ‘Citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation’ have submitted offered recommendations the two new Codes of Practice. 

These distilled themes offer a practical roadmap for the research and innovation community. 

By embracing these principles the EU and prospective EU members can unlock the full potential of intellectual assets, drive innovation, and shape a more sustainable and innovative future.