A brief conversation during a conference, the exchange of a business card or a meeting between a research group and a company may seem like modest gestures. However, many innovation collaborations begin exactly like this: with two organisations discovering that they share a challenge, a need or an opportunity.
Patents, companies, start-ups and new products entering the market are undoubtedly an essential part of knowledge transfer processes. Research can lead to technological innovations, specialised services and business initiatives that generate economic activity and contribute to regional development.
When we think of innovation, we often think of technology, patents or start-ups. But behind every transfer project or collaboration between university and business there are people who connect different worlds. They are interface profiles (project managers, transfer technicians, university–business collaboration facilitators) who move between research, business and institutions.
According to reports from the EPO, the MICIU and the FCRI, almost one in four inventor-applicants in Spain is a woman (2018–2022). At the same time, however, this system is not linear: the presence of women decreases as the trajectory approaches the patent or the creation of a start-up. Both in the Spanish state and in Catalonia we find a strong European position, but equality remains absent in areas where innovation increases in terms of decision-making power, scaling and recognition.
Throughout the year, the Park has continued to act as a bridge between the UAB research community and the socio-economic environment. This involves identifying needs and opportunities in both areas, gaining first-hand knowledge of local council and business priorities, understanding UAB groups' capabilities and lines of research, and maintaining direct relationships with clusters, social agents, and organisations operating in strategic sectors.
Knowledge transfer, as a mission and commitment, is articulated through the creation of an ecosystem where academic research meets market demand and social need.
The most direct link between the academic and business worlds materialised at the Innovation Fair, one of the highlights of Innovation Week. This space managed to mobilise more than 70 R&D groups, 10 start-ups and 120 companies, with the explicit aim of connecting the business, investment and research ecosystems.
Once again, the event wants to showcase the commitment of the UAB and the UAB Research Park with innovation and collaboration between research and business. The Fair wants to the focal point that promotes the connection between the academic and businesses world, while giving visibility to R&D&I projects and promoting strategic alliances. In this regard, this year alone more than 80 UAB research groups and spin-offs will show their technological and innovative potential.
With a multidisciplinary and collaborative look, UAB promotes pioneer projects that address ecological transition from science, technology, territorial planification, economy, and governance. In this article, we are analysing the lines of action and capacities to make UAB a referent in green transformation.
Capacities by UAB departments
These initiatives allow for organizations to raise real-world challenges that require creative and multidisciplinary solutions, opening a space of interaction with the university community and, particularly, with the emerging talent of students.
An industrial doctorate is a research project developed in collaboration between a company and a university or research centre. The aim is to solve real challenges posed by the company through research at a high academic level leading to a doctoral thesis. The PhD student acts as a link between the company and the academic world, combining scientific rigour with practical applicability.