Science can (and does) move off the pages. We’re talking about new products and services, human resources and provision of training actions, educational content, but also data to support decision-making and public policies, infrastructures and tools for companies and other scientific entities to explore new knowledge, among other means of impact. And all of these are Intellectual Property (IP), the currency of Knowledge Economy.
In 2024, INESC TEC generated dozens of new results, nine new patent applications, several internationalised patent families, licenses, spin-offs and revenues, thus going through the perpetual cycle of knowledge transfer – or rather, science-based impact. A lot of paper involved – some of it quite expensive – with the potential to address the major challenges of today’s (and future) society. INESC TEC, thanks to the Technology Licensing Office (SAL), is at the forefront of this change; the institution seeks to apply the best efforts in transforming this role into goods and services that contribute to the prosperity and quality of life of the populations.
EARTO Award, Crédito Agrícola, Expresso, and Nature spin-off finalist
In 2024, several innovative solutions developed at INESC TEC in various sectors were recognised for their impact, increasingly valuing the Intellectual Property generated.
The intelligent Lab-on-a-Fiber – iLoF technology, developed in partnership with the University of Porto, uses photonics and AI to create biomolecular fingerprints; this technology has great application potential in different industrial sectors. Thanks to the impact on healthcare, enabling personalised diagnostics and treatments in Alzheimer’s and cancer, the technology won the EARTO Innovation Award “Impact Expected“. This solution is being tested by the INESC TEC spin-off with the same name: iLoF. In the area of food sustainability, the technology is implemented by the INESC TEC Seedsight spin-off, whose digital platform maximises food availability through advanced analysis of seeds and grains, contributing to reduce food waste. Seedsight was a finalist of the “Nature Awards Spinoff Prize” in 2024, and won the Altice’s “International Innovation Award 2024” and ANI’s “Born from Knowledge Award“.
Based on INESC TEC’s patented technology, BB-Spectral, the Pocket-Vet solution uses AI to monitor animal health, enabling the early detection of bovine mastitis. This solution stood out in the 11th edition of the Crédito Agrícola Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award, in the Food and Nutrition Security category.
The Modular E project, a vineyard robot developed at INESC TEC’s Laboratory of Robotics and IoT for Smart Precision Agriculture and Forestry (TRIBE LAB), also won the Agriculture Innovation Award, an initiative promoted by Timac Agro – with Expresso and SIC Notícias as partners -, demonstrating the impact of robotics and IoT on sustainable agricultural practices.
These awards highlight the transformative impact of INESC TEC’s technologies in crucial areas like healthcare, sustainability and agriculture. And they reflect the Institute’s ability to transform scientific knowledge into technological solutions that generate concrete benefits for society.
Promote IP through success stories
To raise awareness of the ecosystem, the SAL organised a pilot webinar in December 2024, based on the case study that the European Patent Office (EPO) published regarding the Austrian SME Marinomed. In this work, the EPO highlighted the importance of patents in the efficient business model (lean business model), the definition of the company’s strategic decisions, the identification of the company’s main products and technologies, the support of patents in cases of conflicts due to matters of intellectual property infringement, the approach to patents as a way of protecting the intellectual property of these technologies, and the ability to attract investors and technology takers.
The promotion and dissemination of the role of intellectual property as a success factor for companies of all sizes is part of INESC TEC’s commitment to integrate the GAPI and PATLIB networks, complementing other relevant initiatives like the project “Empresas com valor intangível” – promoted by the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).
Intellectual Property as an aggregating element
In 2024, INESC TEC led the group of the European Commission’s prestigious network of TTOs – the TTO Circle – dedicated to open source. Together with CERN, IMEC and ESA, INESC TEC has compiled good practices in the creation and management of open-source software to empower the European ecosystem at this level. Through open-source software, INESC TEC has supported and created bridges between researchers and companies, as in the case of YAKE software.
From Technological Innovation to the Transforming Potential of Industry
The training actions and other initiatives promoted by EIT Manufacturing have a decisive impact on strengthening skills and accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies, promoting the competitiveness and sustainability of industries. At INESC TEC’s Industry and Innovation Laboratory (iiLab), outstanding projects in industrial robotics and AI demonstrate how these actions can address concrete challenges and generate real value for the manufacturing sector.
The application of advanced technologies, e.g., large language models (LLMs), requires significant thoroughness, with careful supervision and exhaustive testing to ensure reliability and effectiveness. In this context, the strategic management of IP becomes vital, especially in areas like AI, where the protection of algorithms, data and methodologies is vital to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of innovations. IP not only protects the knowledge generated but also facilitates its valorisation and transfer to the market, creating a lasting impact for companies and industries.
Origami
Turning paper into sculptures is an art that requires time and patience. In 2025, we will complete new origami, folding the paper that was once folded by many different hands, thus preserving them. A joint effort of dreamers who believe in the strength of Science to illuminate and help Humanity.
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