The common denominator of all Scientific Hospitalization and Care Institutes (IRCCS) is the link between research and clinical activity, or their mission in translational research.

The IFOs (Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri) are the public legal entity that manages both the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (IRE) and the San Gallicano Dermatological Institute (ISG), Scientific Hospitalization and Care Institutes (IRCCS) with a mono-address-specialist, oncological and dermatological, respectively.

One of the main missions of the IFO is the commitment to disseminating the results of scientific research.

Technology Transfer (TT) is the process by which knowledge, technologies and production methodologies are made accessible and available to a wide range of people so that they can further develop and exploit them to create new products, services, processes and/or applications. It’s an "open innovation" methodology, made up of activities that aim to transfer knowledge and make it public and accessible to end users.

A possible definition of Technology Transfer (TT): "The mechanism through which the competence developed by a specific subject is transferred wholly and/or in part to another subject who benefits from it".

To support the activities of the main players involved in the transfer process, the Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) have recently been created, which represent the main transmission channel between the world of research and the market and, in many cases, collaborate with the top research management as regards relations with companies. The Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), therefore, take on a fundamental role in the creation of opportunities to be exploited and transferred, acting as facilitators and promoters of collaboration processes.

The TTO IFO was established with resolution no.732 in 2015. In the same year the Institutes adopted their own internal regulations on Intellectual Property (resolution no.849/2015). The potential of Technology Transfer was subsequently consolidated with the establishment of a Patent Commission (resolution no.67/2016 and resolution no.47/2016) of the IRCCS IRE and ISG.

Subsequently, the progressive birth of an entrepreneurial culture within the Institutes, as well as the increase in interactions within the national/international business panorama led to the definition of a regulation for the establishment and participation of IFOs in businesses Research Spin-Off and a further strengthening of the activities of the Technology Transfer Office (Resolution no.1133/2020).

Specific initiatives of the MISE (Ministry of Economic Development), today MIMIT (Ministry of Business and Made in Italy), are aimed at strengthening the Technology Transfer Offices and, in particular, at strengthening support for the activities and resources involved in the TTOs.

Among these we remember the first TTO call (period: from 01.07.2020 to 30.06.2023) which provided for co-financing to support the strengthening of capacity building of the activities and resources engaged in the TTO in order to intensify the technological transfer strategies from research publishes to the world of industry. With it, it was possible to identify the following two figures: the KTM (Knowledge Transfer Manager) and the IP (Innovation Promoter).

Furthermore, attention was focused on the following purposes: developing and strengthening the capacity to disseminate the results of scientific research; support patenting policies; strengthen the economic/commercial exploitation activities of Industrial Property rights; promote the valorisation of Research results and skills in the creation of Start Ups and/or Spin Offs.

Recently the IFO, in wanting to give continuity to the path started in 2020, presented their candidacy for the second call (period: from 01.07.2023 to 30.06.2025) for funding for the strengthening and capacity building projects of the Technology Transfer Offices as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) , Mission 1 “Digitalization, innovation, competitiveness, culture and tourism” - Component 2 “Digitalization, innovation and competitiveness in the production system” – Investment 6 “Industrial property system” financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

The new resources will serve to: consolidate the process of strengthening the already existing TTOs; ensure operational continuity beyond the expiry of the first loan already granted; maximize the increase in the intensity and quality of Technology Transfer processes towards businesses. All through strengthening the staff and strengthening the skills of the TTOs.

The activity of the TTO IFO can be summarized in 3 main reference clusters aimed at promoting:

- an internal exploratory research through the use of ministerial databases to verify the innovative scope of inventions and identify the best possible path for protection, development and/or valorisation of the idea itself;

- an external open innovation strategy, capable of identifying the intangible heritage of IFOs worthy of protection and economic/patrimonial valorisation. Which means: partnership agreements, co-development, distribution, licensing, etc.

1. Enhancement of research results

• Internal scouting activities aimed at the emergence of the scientific results achieved and at the mapping of the skills and technologies present;
• Support to researchers in verifying the existence of the requirements for patent protection of research results;
• Management of procedures for the assignment of filing and maintenance services for national, European and/or international patent applications to companies authorized and accredited by UIBM, EPO, USPTO, etc.;
• Management, monitoring and evaluation of the patent portfolio;
• Matchmaking and networking activities between companies, investors and researchers;
• Support in activities instrumental to the economic/commercial exploitation of inventions (licenses, transfers, collaborations, etc.);
• Technical support, subject to approval by the Scientific Management, in the development and drafting of instruments for the indirect protection of Intellectual Property that vary depending on the object of the transfer:
  • Material Transfer Agreement (MTA);
  • Material and Associated Data Transfer Agreement (MTDA);
  • Data Transfer Agreement (DTA);
  • Data USE Agreement (DUA).

2. Support for the transfer of research results

• Promotion of the culture of Intellectual Property with awareness-raising initiatives that also provide information on patent law;
• Promotion and organization of training activities aimed at spreading the entrepreneurial spirit within the Institutes;
• External scouting activities aimed at the actors of the innovation ecosystem and the business system to favor a successful match between research supply and demand and identify possible synergies and spaces for collaboration;
• Study and in-depth study of calls for tenders and procedures for access new sources of funding.

3. Support in the creation of Spin-Off companies

• Planning of preliminary meetings with the proponents to provide information and assessments on the Spin-Off proposal;
• Illustration of the mechanisms of participation in the company by the proponents;
• Evaluation of possible conflicts of interest between proponents and public research body.

The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) also supports the Scientific Directions and the Patent Commission in the formal and merit assessment of new patent applications, as well as in actions aimed at enhancing and economically exploiting the same.

The Patent Commission is the internal collegial body having decision-making functions in the field of: examination of patent proposals, identification of the types of inventions, assessment of opportunities for international extension and agreements for the industrial/commercial exploitation of patents.

The main tasks of the Patent Commission are:

• the evaluation of the invention proposal and the decision about the opportunity to proceed with the prior art research;
• the evaluation of the complete documentation of the research report, the written opinion and the merits examination to decide whether to proceed with the filing of the patent application;
• the assessment, after the first filing, of the opportunity to extend the protection to other countries;
• the assessment, on an annual basis, of the adequacy of the strategies undertaken for the management, protection and valorisation of patents;
• the definition, based on the prospects for exploitation existing at the end of each year, of the deeds of disposition of the patents (licence, assignment, etc.), including any termination of the patent;
• the evaluation, with the support of the TTO, of the clauses regarding Intellectual Property contained in the contracts for commissioned research, for the valorisation of patents and in the research agreements and/or conventions signed with other public and private bodies and/or research bodies;
• Finally, the Patent Commission is responsible for evaluating proposals and authorizing procedures for the creation of research Spin-Offs.

Composition of the IFO Patent Commission:

Gennaro Ciliberto - IRE Scientific Director – ISG acting Scientific Director

Paola Nisticò - UOSD Immunology and Immunotherapy

Giulia Piaggio - UOSD SAFU

Giuseppe Navanteri - UOSD Clinical Engineering, Technologies and Information Systems

Andrea Scotti - UOC Acquisition of Goods and Services

Fulvia Pimpinelli - UOC Clinical Pathology and Microbiology

References of the IFO TTO:

• KTM (Knowledge Transfer Manager)
  • Emanuela Miceli
    e-mail: emanuela.miceli@ifo.it - Tel.: +39 06 5266 2884

• IP (Innovation Promoter)
  • Giuseppe Campanella
    e-mail: giuseppe.campanella@ifo.it - Tel.: +39 06 5266 5541