Andrea Berti

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For Italian SMEs research is just a mouse click
away

• Andrea Berti
• Technology Transfer Office
• University of Padua, Italy
• WIPO Forum, Geneva, Sept. 14th, 2007

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Introduction

• Italian universities have plenty of scientific
  and technical knowledge that could be useful to
  enterprises.

• In the university laboratories there are many
  advanced scientific tools and facilities that
  companies could use for their tests.

• Universities are willing to offer their own
  expertise and scientific tools to entrepreneurs.

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The university-enterprise relationship

• Italian enterprises, especially SMEs, often dont
  know how to find a consultant or an expert on a
  specific technology within university. Sometimes
  they ignore these opportunities or they simply
  dont know whom to call.

• University is usually considered to be far from
  business only a few entrepreneurs have direct
  contacts with the researchers.

• Even when a contact is created, entrepreneurs and
  researchers speak different languages, so it is
  difficult to cooperate.

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Solution

• UNI2B is a user-friendly search engine that
  allows the client-entrepreneur to find useful
  tools or expertises within the Italian research
  world.

• In support of UNI2B, a network of Industrial
  Liaison Offices, with qualified staff, puts
  enterprises in contact with researchers and make
  the communication easier.

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What is UNI2B?

• Its a search engine on the Internet
  (www.uni2b.it) where the entrepreneur can find

• the expertises of university professors which
  are more suitable to satisfy companies' needs for
  technological innovation

• the scientific tools and equipment in University
  labs available for external use

• the patents owned by University and available
  for licensing

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The project partners

• MiUR (the Italian Ministry of University and
  Research), within its policy to develop
  Industrial Liaison Offices with the aim of
  transfering the technology from University to
  industry, funded 4 universities Padua, Pavia,
  Perugia and Trieste

• Cineca (a non profit Interuniversity Consortium)
  developed the database software and the search
  engine

• AIRI (the Italian Association for Industrial
  Research) and Rete Ventures (a technology
  transfer firm) contributed to the planning process

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Why UNI2B is different from other academic
search engines

• Because it is tailored to the entrepreneur that
  doesnt know the academic world and the
  university organisation

• Because it is user-friendly and gives direct and
  simple answers

• Because it shows only the fundamental information
  and doesnt confuse the client with useless data
  (i.e. departments, research groups, publications)

• Because it is rich in information and always
  up-to-date, thanks to the staff that manages it
  every day

• Because it already gathers 4 important
  universities, but it will be extended to other
  universities and research centers, becoming the
  main search engine of university expertise of
  industrial interest

• Because the entrepreneur gets in touch with the
  ILO manager, a skilled person that speaks the
  language of the business and makes the
  cooperation with the researcher easier

• Because it works!

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• How does it work?
• Its just a click away

www.uni2b.it
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• THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Andrea Berti University of Padua Tel. 39 049
8273096 andrea.berti_at_unipd.it