IP & Business Development

Policy

Based on the VSNU/NFU guidelines, as well as Dutch law and the University’s employment contract, the joint UG/UMCG Intellectual Property policy focuses on two main issues:

1. Public recognition. UG/UMCG wish to be visible on patent publications as (one of the) applicant(s) in those cases where the invention was (partly) the work of UG/UMCG inventors. This is highly relevant for our reputation, PR, and rankings.
2. Reasonable financial compensation. If a patent is transferred or out-licensed to a third party, UG/UMCG request a competitive compensation, negotiable on a case-by-case basis

All research, license, and patent transfer agreements are assessed accordingly by the legal department, before being submitted to the UG/UMCG Boards for signing.

The IP & Business Development team implements the joint UG/UMCG IP policy in close collaboration with the legal department of the University (ABJZ), the UMCG Innovation Center and the legal/contract support desk of the UMCG.

For more information please contact ip-info rug.nl or one of the members of the IP & Business Development team.

Guidelines Dealing with Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

The Association of universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU) have published guidelines for academic start-ups about dealing with intellectual property rights and the position of students wrt. IPR.

IPR Guidelines for academic start-ups

The utilisation of knowledge from research at knowledge institutions is important for society, in view of the social challenges and economic opportunities. Intellectual property plays a relevant role in the utilisation of knowledge. The guideline can help to remove obstacles in the handling of intellectual property rights (IPR) for academic start-ups.

• IPR guidelines for academic start-ups

IPR Guidelines for students

During your studies, you may encounter intellectual property rights (IPR). Make agreements about this before you start an internship, study activity or research project. This way, you know where you stand if an invention, design or idea turns out to be an economic or social gap in the market.

The IPR guidelines for university start-ups are in the abovementioned 'IPR Guidelines'. In addition, the rules for students are now also clarified in the 'Addendum IPR Guidelines and Students'.

• Summary of the IPR guidelines for students
• Frequently asked questions
• Flowchart visualising the IPR guidelines

Principles for cooperation with industry

For research collaboration with industry and other private parties, the University of Groningen (UG) and the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) follow the guidelines for public-private partnerships (PPP) and other types of technology transfer as formulated by The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and the Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU).

In summary, these guidelines are:

1. Freedom to publish one’s own results
2. Freedom to do follow-up research
3. Freedom to do follow-up research with third parties
4. Freedom to use the foreground for educational purposes
5. Ownership of the foreground follows upon inventorship/creatorship
6. No obligatory assignment of the foreground
7. Market conditions for access to the foreground for commercial use
8. Access conditions include an anti-shelving clause
9. No obligation to grant access to the background for use outside the project
10. No automatic access to future results/IPR (which are not the foreground)

Inventions made by University’s employees are internally assessed for patentability and commercial value. When both are positive, a patent application will be filed and commercial parties will be approached for a license or patent transfer.

In 2016, prof. dr. Francesco Picchioni, Chemical Technology, University of Groningen, filed a patent application based on his research 'Recycling of Rubber'. A real gap in the market: ‘Recycling rubber is a social problem. The surplus of used rubber is now burned and that is bad for the environment. Our invention gives new applications to rubber from discarded car tires.’

About 7 million car tyres are discarded in the Netherlands each year. The total weight of these tyres is over 110,000 tons. Recently, a rule has been applied that 20% of these end-of-life tyres must be re-used. Picchioni: ‘We have developed a patented application in the lab that makes new and elastic base material out of recycled rubber tyres that is suitable for re-use and new applications. The new base material is durable and suitable for large industrial use at a competitive price.’

The proof-of-principle works!

Picchioni's research into the revaluation of rubber stems from the observation, after a literature search, that worldwide it is all too easily assumed that rubber is not recyclable. This is a matter of honour for the Groningen-based researcher and his team: ‘An incomprehensible point of view, of course, in a time of a circular society and advancing science.’ Time for action. The Groningen team located at Nijenborgh 4 at Zernike Campus, spent months in the lab to develop a proof-of-principle that enables the revaluation of rubber. A proof-of-principle is a test or experiment aimed to determine whether the technology or principle you have devised actually functions and is feasible. A moment of euphoria, which the Groningen researcher vividly recalls in his office two years later: ‘A student knocked on the door here and shouted: '’Francesco, the PoP works!’’ And then you suddenly realise that as a researcher you may have a commercial product on your hands and knowledge that you need to protect!’

Screening & Scouting

For the feasibility study into the filing of a possible patent, Picchioni approached the IP & Business Development team, part of Northern Knowledge, at Kadijk, Zernike Campus. Picchioni: ‘An important step to avoid wasting any energy, because not all knowledge is patentable. For example, an invention must meet the criteria of inventiveness, and knowledge about the invention may not have been publicly disclosed anywhere in the world prior to the date of filing the patent application.’ After a few weeks, Picchioni received the green light that his knowledge from the lab was indeed appeared to be novel and the process of obtaining a patent application was to be started for the invention of revaluing rubber. Knowledge valorisation leading to surprising new applications. To reduce health costs, for instance: ‘One of my students wants to reduce the consequences of falling off a bike by applying an elastic rubber patch on the sleeve of a jacket, whereby the rubber patch softens any contact with the ground after a fall.’ A creative application for which the re-use of rubber car tyres is perfectly suited: ‘And fewer fractures after falling off a bike also means lower healthcare costs. Knowledge protection pays off on all levels,’ says the Groningen researcher, revealing his social drive.

Patenting and publishing reinforcing each other

Knowledge valorisation by patenting is now in his genes. Besides a request for a patent into 'Revaluing Rubber', a patent application was also filed for Francesco Picchioni's research into carbohydrate-based linear polyesters. The innovative method provides new applications including water-based glue. A stepping stone to new challenges in Green Chemistry that will eventually lead to new research, patents and publications as well. A golden route to valorisation that only has winners says Francesco: ‘Before filing a patent application, you have to be patient as a researcher with publishing, because it has to be investigated whether an invention is also an invention according to the (international) patent law.’ But patience pays off here, concludes the flamboyant Italian born Groningen-based professor: ‘For the researcher: protecting knowledge on an invention gives you the recognition that you have invented something new. And publishing on this knowledge strengthens your reputation as a scientist. For the university: it strengthens the university's reputation in its value as a socially relevant knowledge institute. Everybody happy!’

IP-Méé with University of Groningen and UMCG! Contact us for support: ip-info@rug.nl