João Claro, Chairman and CEO of INESC TEC, has been elected member of the Board of Directors of the TTO Circle, the European network promoted by the European Commission that brings together Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) from leading Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) across Europe. INESC TEC is the only Portuguese institution represented in this initiative, with João Claro now serving on the Board for a three-year term.
The TTO Circle serves as a strategic forum for reflection and coordination in the field of technology transfer and valorisation, promoting the exchange of best practices and contributing to European discussions on industrial and innovation policies, including spin-off establishment, intellectual property management, and the valorisation of R&D results.
The appointment, approved by the TTO Circle Management Board (which includes the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and representatives from several European RTOs) took effect on 23 February 2026.
During his term, João Claro has identified four priority areas of intervention: strengthening the path of spin-offs to scale-up and industrial integration, treating scale-up as a challenge of coordination and systemic integration, not merely funding; developing more operational, practice-based guidance to maximise the impact of research, complementing general principles with reference models and concrete case studies; Focusing on digital, open, and hybrid innovation models (including software, data-driven innovation, and responsible AI) and their implications for intellectual property management and value-capture mechanisms; finally, exploring mechanisms for cooperation at the European level, such as joint approaches to company creation and scale-up between research organisations, leveraging critical mass and complementary expertise.
In addition to his role as Chairman and CEO of INESC TEC, João Claro is a faculty member at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), where he researches and teaches in Technology Management and Policy – focusing on technological entrepreneurship and knowledge commercialisation processes. He is also Director of the PhD Programme in Engineering and Public Policy. He has developed international collaborations in these areas, both in the European context (notably through EARTO) and in strategic partnerships between Portugal and North American universities, having served as national director of the Carnegie Mellon Portugal programme – and benefiting from direct contact to diverse international technology transfer and valorisation models.
INESC TEC’s connection to the TTO Circle dates to 2019, when the Institute joined this European network and has remained the only Portuguese member. Since then, it has actively participated in strategic meetings and contributed to European reports on the role of RTOs in creating high-impact industrial spin-offs.
“It is a privilege to join the Board of Directors of the TTO Circle and contribute to its role as a European strategic platform dedicated to technology transfer and innovation impact,” stated João Claro.
News, current topics, curiosities and so much more about INESC TEC and its community!
