Global Innovation Summit: Impact Licensing and role of Innovation Intermediaries in Crisis Management
As a part of the Eureka Global Innovation Summit, our team participated in the session dedicated to the tools for technology licensing in the crises and emergencies, together with the Impact Licensing Initiative, The Data Thank, Vlaanderen Red Cross, and Eureka Network. The session explored principles and mechanisms of Impact Licensing as a valid exploitation tool for a social impact ,emphasizing its increasing importance and immense significance, especially in crisis and emergency situations.
Our Senior IP & Innovation Advisor, Ivana Vuka, highlighted the critical role of regional innovation intermediaries during crises. These intermediaries—such as Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), innovation agencies, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) members, Cluster Organizations, and Digital Innovation Hubs—act as ecosystem trust builders. Their role is multiple, from identifying key intellectual property (IP) owners, scouting for important technologies, and raising awareness and capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in understanding and using IL principles.
Additionally, innovation support organizations like the European IP Helpdesk, International IP SME Helpdesks, European Innovation Council (EIC), European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), and ASTP play a significant role in comprehending and implementing IL mechanisms.
“The topic of the Impact Licensing is getting more attention as a exploitation pathway for the technology owners interested in making societal impact, but also in the emergency situations where having the valid mechanisms that go beyond compulsory licensing is even more important. Here innovation support intermediaries take the role of brokers since the mechanism also opens the floor for the new extensive collaboration. Furthermore, they are also having role of communicating and explaining to the IP owners, but also others involved, that IL offers win-win situation for all involved parties, for the tech owners, for the users, for the society as a whole, but also for example to the local producers which is quite relevant in the crisis situations. Since EUREKA has just announced a Call for disaster resilience, response and recovery projects this session came just in time to make potential applicants aware of different tools for technology exploitation,” says Ivana Vuka.