Economic impact & innovation
The new innovation activities at the University of Basel aim to help the public at large reap even greater benefit from knowledge generated at the university and to boost the region’s economy. In 2018, the main focus was on providing excellent support to start-ups and spin-offs.
Goals 2019 - 2021
Building on the 2018 database (see "Status 2018"), the University of Basel developed goals and actions for the 2019-2021 timeframe to further strengthen economic impact and innovation.
Measuring the impact of the Innovation & Corporate Relations Office
- Establishing annual data collection process to measure investments in University of Basel start-ups and spin-offs
- Recording key figures on the number of jobs created annually by the Innovation & Corporate Relations Office
- Recording key figures on priority patent applications, approved priority patents, licenses/options, new licensed products introduced to the market, spin-offs, start-ups, start-ups operating in the university’s innovation spaces
Innovation & Corporate Relations
Monitoring and strengthening the innovator community at the University of Basel
- Recording the number of active community members per year (raising awareness, start-up projects, start-ups, supporters)
- Recording the number of workshops and projects with companies
Innovation & Corporate Relations
Status 2018
Sustainable regional development is also characterized by an innovative, strong economy that helps to improve people’s quality of life. The University of Basel contributes to the regional economy in various ways: Funded start-ups and spin-offs make it possible to tie knowledge and well-qualified people to Basel, thus generating added value for the region. Companies as well as the public sector also benefit from technology transfer through inventions and patents. At the same time, the direct placement of graduates on the labor market plays a big role.
Highlights
T3 Pharma, a University of Basel start-up, was named «2018 Science Start-Up of the Year» at the highly touted Falling Walls Conference in Berlin. The biotech company, which specializes in immuno-oncology, received an award for its groundbreaking approach to bacterial cancer therapy. T2 Pharma stimulates the immune system with modified bacteria, which release specific human proteins directly in the cells found in the micro-region around the tumor. T3 Pharmaceuticals is a start-up that was founded at the University of Basel in May 2015.
Innovation & entrepreneurship
To improve the quality and quantity of start-ups and spin-offs at the University of Basel, the Innovation office focused on developing an excellent range of support services in 2018 and started various awareness-raising activities. Skills were taught in courses previously unavailable at the university. The focus is always on the people who want to apply research findings or ideas in innovative and creative ways. The University of Basel brings these innovators together with experienced supporters and also helps build networks among them to create a start-up community.
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Size of the innovation community at the University of Basel in 2018, broken down into four groups of stakeholders. Image: University of Basel, Sustainability Office link.zoom
There was a total of 280 active innovators in the community who are also personally known to the university’s Innovation Office. They participated in the Entrepreneurs Club or various classes, completed organized coaching and mentoring sessions, or attended investor meetings. The community consists of roughly the same distribution of start-ups, supporters, and people working to raise awareness.
Technology transfer in 2018
Invention disclosures
34
Priority patent applications
19
Licenses / options
23
New licensed products introduced to the market
4
Spin-Offs founded
1
Start-ups & spin-offs in the innovation spaces
8
The process for applying research findings or ideas is quantified in terms of patent applications, licenses and the number of spin-offs monitored by the organization Unitectra. Spin-offs can rent the university’s innovation spaces and benefit from favorable terms and the support of the community. When implementing technology and ideas for society, the collaboration with industry partners plays a key role, particularly in the Basel region. Economic sustainability and academic freedom are ensured through close monitoring by the Innovation Office. In 2018, 20 workshops were held together with companies, and two specific projects were launched with companies.
