With the new “Open Innovation Toolbox”, the national contact point for knowledge transfer and intellectual property (www.ncp-ip.at) provides a new, free service for enterprises. This is an extensive collection of information from Open Innovation methods and tools, together with progress reports and practical advice for implementation (www.fair-open-innovation.at). The toolbox will be presented on Wednesday, 23 October at the 3rd IoT Congress in Vienna for the first time to the general public.
The aim of the new Open Innovation Toolbox is to help innovative projects to success on the basis of fair framework conditions. Open Innovation provides enterprises with the opportunity to use external know-how or to better utilise their own knowledge. In doing this, if it is worthwhile integrating external innovators with fair rules and an appropriate recognition then actors can develop a clear competitive advantage. This should be made easier with the new toolbox. The method box improves the selection of correct instruments for a fair Open Innovation process, among other things, and provides support when setting up a fair innovation process, however it also explains the different compensation mechanisms to ideally distribute the results.
The toolbox is also an important component of the Open Innovation strategy (www.openinnovation.gv.at), which has been created on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research of Austria (BMBWF) and the Federal Ministry of Traffic, Innovation and Technology of Austria (BMVIT). In doing this, Austria is a forerunner and as the first EU Member State has developed a strategy in this sector.
“The ideal exchange of knowledge is essential to being successful among global competition”, emphasises aws Manager Edeltraud Stiftinger. The fact that this exchange is already qualitatively occurring is, alongside the enterprises and research facilities’ commitment, also down to the successful work of the NCP-IP. “In previous years, the national contact point has largely contributed to the professionalisation of knowledge and technology transfer. This is reflected in the economical success of the enterprises that we support with NCP-IP and accompany with the aws funding programmes”, aws manager Bernhard Sagmeister expresses with joy.
Software sample contracts for more legal security
The NCP-IP is operated operatively by aws and FFG on behalf of the BMBWF, BMDW and BMVIT. Alongside the new toolbox, the current areas of focus are the provision of free and standardised sample contract and events to highlight current development and to further network the Austrian innovation system.
A centrepiece of the NCP-IP is therefore the Intellectual Property Agreement Guide (www.ipag.at). With this, free and standardised sample contracts for all aspects of technology transfer are available to interested parties to download. These contract samples include all technology transfer-relevant areas of cooperation between research facilities and enterprises (e.g. licensing contracts, material transfer agreements, patent acquisition contracts or research and development contracts) and are being constantly further developed and updated. Since this year, the provision has been extended with sample contracts for the development of software.
NCP-IP breakfast for the protection of trade secrets
The non-disclosure of business-relevant know-how, therefore usable technical or commercial information, is among some of the most important instruments of the strategic protection of intellectual property. Current changes to legal framework conditions strengthen the position of enterprises; however, they do present new legal, technical and organisational challenges. On 24/10, aws invited experts to provide information on the most up-to-date legal changes and the challenges linked therewith (www.ncp-ip.at/events).
About NCP.IP (www.ncp-ip.at)
With the objective to support, coordinate and professionalise knowledge transfer at a national level, the Austrian federal government set up the NCP-IP in 2010. The national contact point is operated on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research of Austria (BMBWF), the Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) and the Federal Ministry of Traffic, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). The operative implementation is performed by aws and FFG.
More information:
- Open Innovation Toolbox: www.ncp-ip.at/projekte/open-innovation or www.fair-open-innovation.at
- Technology transfer-relevant contract samples: www.ncp-ip.at/projekte/ipag or www.ipag.at
- The Open Innovation strategy of federal government: www.openinnovation.gv.at
About Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (aws)
The Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (aws) is the promotional bank of the federal government. With the awarding of lower interest rate credit, guarantees, grants and equity capital, it support enterprises from the first idea, through to market success in the implementation of their innovative projects. aws also provides advice and support for the protection and use of intellectual property. Additionally, specific information, consultation, service provisions are offered for prospective, existing and expanding enterprises.
Enquiries & contact:
Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft mbH
Enterprise communication
Wolfgang Drucker
Tel. 01 501 75-331
Email w.drucker@aws.at
www.aws.at