Interfaces facilitating knowledge exploitation and exchange 75 

The commercialization of the research base of the research universities UvA and VU is being promoted by their TTOs. These two offices are linked through IAMstarter, an organization which receives support from the Technopartner programme of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The intermediary role for IAMStarter emerged as a condition for receiving an SKE-grant from the Ministry, which did not want to subsidize competing programs in the same region and demanded a form of collaboration. IAMStarter also represents the local business community in the form of an advisory board. The participants in this board are listed in Annex F.

Both the VU-TTO the Knowledge Transfer Office of UvA (Bureau Kennistransfer or BKT) see their mission in a broad social and economic context. Generally spoken they aim to open up access to scientific knowledge and technology for social purposes. This includes the application of knowledge in commercial and social developments. With regard to the role of the TTOs towards VUmc and AMC patient well being is an explicit aim. Inward the role of the TTOs is to stimulate a professional and commercial access to scientific knowledge developed at the

universities. Also the TTOs actively scout for promising projects and supply services for the application of subsidies or the filing of intellectual property rights (patents). Depending on the nature of the case, the TTOs also actively support the formation of spin-off companies as a vehicle for valorization. The external role is to build coalitions for the application and commercial exploitation of knowledge. This aids a final goal, which is the promotion of employment and economic growth in the region and beyond.

VU-TTO was established with a budget of EUR 5,1 million for a four year period (2006-2010). EUR 2,5 million of this budget was financed by the SKE subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The remaining EUR 2,6 million was matched by both VU and VUmc. VU-TTO offers three types of incentives to stimulate the transfer and valorization of knowledge:

• A fund for the filing of patents: budget EUR 1 million.

• A preseed fund of EUR 1,7 million for investment and preseed loans.

• An ‘inventors’ regulation for filing and exploiting intellectual property rights: the scientists involved are allowed a share of 1/3 of the proceeds from licenses and other

income related to IP rights. The faculty is also entitled to a share of 1/3 and the remaining part is added to university resources.

Since 2008 the UvA has its own TTO jointly with AMC called the Knowledge Transfer Office (Bureau Kennistransfer or BKT). It was set up to stimulate knowledge transfer and provide optimal support to scientists in the transfer process. BKT assists researchers at UvA and its medical center AMC in applying for research and educational subsidies, and provides information about contract research, business development and licenses. BKT has two branches: one for the UvA/AMC, HvA and all institutes of the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO) located on the Science Park Amsterdam, and the other for the AMC medical center on AMC premises. BKT has a regional role in the sense that it acts as the intermediary between researchers and external parties in the Amsterdam region such as other research institutions, companies, non- profit organizations and government. On a national and international scale BKT not only acts as an intermediary for knowledge transfer, but also provides knowledge about subsidy applications for funds such as from the Technology Foundation (STW) and the European Commissions’ Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). These funding bodies on their turn often require

cooperation with commercial organizations, which increases the number of partnerships. Finally, BKT participates in several regional innovation organizations such as Kenniskring Amsterdam, Life Science Centre Amsterdam and Subsidieregeling Kennis Exploitatie (SKE).

The HvA does not have its own TTO, but its employees use the services of the UvA’s BKT. The BKT offers a broad package of services to researchers and other employees at HvA. Furthermore, government institutions and commercial organizations can contact the BKT to develop scientific underpinning of their theoretical idea.

INHolland has a so-called SME-office (MKB-loket) that is a cooperative partnership between SMEs and the several branches of INHolland across the Netherlands. The SME-office is a portal for SMEs to knowledge at INHolland and stimulates, initiates and coordinates internship and graduation assignments, internships for lecturers and company visits, customer-tailored education, etc.

3.7.2 Results of the TTOs

The two Amsterdam TTOs have been functioning for just a limited number of years. For this brief period it is difficult to list results. For the VU/VUmc TTO it is known that the number of patents filed has increased from 10 in 2006 to 23 in 2008. IP-License/deals have decreased from 18 in 2006 to 5 in 2008. In 2006 the VU/VUmc TTO produced 2 fully operating and 7 starting-up spin-off companies. In 2008 it was responsible for 3 fully operating and 6 starting-up spin-off companies.

3.7.3 Other mechanisms to commercialize the knowledge base

The commercialization of the university research base also takes place in a number of other ways. Firstly, through research contracts, collaboration with regional partners and consultancy. This mechanism is being used both at UvA and VU. The UvA specifically aims to work together with regional partners, for instance in the Life Science Centre Amsterdam and a consortium initiated from SKE in which knowledge institutions and local government cooperate. This

cooperation results in for instance the availability of commercial coaching against reduced tariffs, close collaboration with patent bureaus and free of charge services from a dynamic expert panel in reviewing knowledge exploitation cases. The VU also uses contract research, collaborative partnerships and consultancy as a means to commercialize its research base. Its researchers are

involved with contract research on a regular basis, although it is hard to estimate what the regional dimension of this contract research is.

Secondly, the research base at UvA and VU is being commercialized through Intellectual Property (IP) transactions. Here the TTOs play a central role (see above). Thirdly, spin-offs, incubators and science parks also contribute to the commercialization of the research base at UvA and VU. The research universities promote spin-offs and incubators by offering office space for start-ups. The VU provides accommodation for start-ups on its own premises. The UvA is currently running a pilot together with Science Park Amsterdam to provide office space to incubators against reduced costs. Besides these locations selected VU and UvA spin-offs in the field of sustainable energy and mobility may use office space on the New Energy Docks. Fourthly, the research base is being commercialized by offering teaching and training

opportunities to regional stakeholders. This mostly happens in the form of language courses (such as NT2, Netherlands as a second language), postgraduate programmes and dual PhDs.

There are a number of structures which are used by the research universities in more widely disseminating its R&D and innovation initiatives beyond its contractual industry partners.

Networking meetings and websites are appropriate means to achieve this. For instance, the online portal www.kennispoortamsterdam.nl (see § 3.6) is one structure which leads to a dissemination of knowledge beyond the contractual industry partners of the universities. Another mechanism through which this happens is the Amsterdamse Innovatiemotor (AIM) (see § 3.4), which is an initiative by the UvA and VU together with local governments, chambers of commerce and the banking sector. The AIM seeks to promote innovation, cooperation and industry in the

Amsterdam region. It focuses on the following five sectors: creative industry, ICT, life sciences, sustainability, and trade and logistics. The AIM functions as a liaison between knowledge

institutions, businesses, non-profit organizations and government. Through its meetings, activities and website, the AIM stimulates interaction between these regional stakeholders.