From the lab to the market Research project aims to remove legal barriers to cooperation between universities and industry

Universities are constantly producing new insights, technologies and ideas. Yet many innovations fail to make the transition from the laboratory to commercial application. Complex structures and legal uncertainties often prevent research from being put into practice. A research project by Technische Universität Braunschweig and the University of Göttingen aims to tackle precisely this issue and remove the legal hurdles that have hitherto hampered cooperation between universities, start-ups and established companies.

New OECD studies show that innovation accounts for up to 60 per cent of GDP growth. Countries where universities and industry work closely together also see around 30 per cent more start-ups and exports. At the same time, established administrative and legal structures prevent closer integration between the two sectors. The main challenges lie in spin-offs and collaborations.

Leaner structures, more efficient innovation

Direct involvement of universities and their researchers in spin-offs, in particular, proves difficult in practice. Large-scale equipment funded by grants is often restricted to research purposes for a specific period, meaning it is not in operation at certain times, as failure to do so risks repayment claims from funding bodies and significant administrative burdens. Furthermore, there are many questions regarding how start-up employees and university staff can collaborate on a project within the same premises.

TU Braunschweig and the University of Göttingen therefore aim, in the “TRANSFEX – Transfer in University Experimental Spaces” project, in collaboration with the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK), to ensure greater legal certainty, leaner structures and, ultimately, the commercial exploitation of scientific innovations.

Clear paths through the legal jungle

“With our experimental space, we are creating clear paths through the legal jungle, reducing uncertainty in dealing with the law as well as legal hurdles, and thus actively contributing to jointly advancing start-ups and collaborations between universities and industry. The collaboration between universities and the state can serve as a booster for the start-up culture and the start-up scene,” emphasises project leader Professor Anne Paschke from the Institute of Law at TU Braunschweig.

When it comes to carrying out projects involving several universities and companies, the various stakeholders face very different requirements. “In particular, the shared use of premises or the joint deployment of staff or resources is often untested and therefore cumbersome and time-consuming in practice. This deters many companies from collaborating with a university, even though both sides stand to benefit,” says Professor Paschke.

Model contracts and practical guidelines

The researchers’ aim is therefore to identify reliable pathways within the legal framework, supplemented by model contracts and practical guidelines, as well as to highlight potential areas for legal improvement. The upcoming amendment to the Higher Education Act also offers the opportunity to enshrine such solutions directly in law. “With these experimental spaces, we have the chance to tackle specific obstacles in order to strengthen the transfer of scientific knowledge into society in the long term,” emphasises Professor Kilian Bizer.

The researchers intend to present the findings from the project to other universities across Germany.

Project details

The “TRANSFEX – Transfer in University Experimental Spaces” project, run by TU Braunschweig and the University of Göttingen, is being funded over three years with approximately 550,000 euros by the VW Foundation under the programme “Impulses for the Science System: Strategic Experimental Spaces – University Development Needs Flexibility” within the “Knowledge about Knowledge” research focus area. Participants from Braunschweig include Prof. Dr Anne Paschke, Prof. Dr Sarah Rachut (both from the Institute of Law), Dr Laura Jess (Transfer Service) and Julius Othmer (Project House); from Göttingen: Prof. Dr Kilian Bizer (Faculty of Economics), Dr Florian Pahlke and Martin Stammann (both from the Research and Transfer Department).