Professional Networks
LIEU network
The Universities and University Colleges wished, for over a decade, to coordinate their efforts in the field of knowledge transfer valorisation. Therefore, their valorisation services joined together within the LIEU network and developed several common projects.
Their objectives are to:
- Support research for economic purpose (e.g. through setting up collaborative projects);
- Valorise the results of research through the creation of companies or the negotiation of licenses;
- Meet companies' innovation demands and offer them a unique gateway by topic to research laboratories.
Advisors in valorisation are Company/Research collaboration professionals:
They work in networks to facilitate the access of companies to the skills and equipment of the 10,000 researchers brought together by the institutions (Free University of Brussels, Catholic University of Louvain, University of Namur, University of Mons, University of Liège, Saint-Louis University and University Colleges).
The LIEU network works within an innovative ecosystem in which the interactions between innovation actors are numerous and sought after. Professional federations, EasyNove intermediation networks, competitive clusters, incubators and public authorities: all maintain close relations and take advantage of their complementarities.
ASTP-PROTON
T
he European Association of technology transfer professionals (ASTP) was founded in 1999 on the initiative of several European offices of technology transfer in order to regularly exchange experiences on the good practices of each. In January 2014, ASTP officially became ASTP-PROTON, stemming from the merger of two ASTP associations and Proton Europe, the association of knowledge transfer created in 2003 by the European Commission.
The objective of ASTP-PROTON is to improve the impact of public research on Society and, in particular, to contribute to economic revitalisation by professionalising the practices of knowledge and technology transfer and by training valorisation professionals in European universities and research institutions. ASTP-PROTON also represents the interests of its members at the European level in the innovation and technology transfer policies.
With more than 830 members in 41 countries, ASTP-PROTON is the No 1 association in Europe for professionals involved in the transfer of knowledge and technology between universities and businesses. Nearly 90% of members are valorisation professionals in university institutions and public research bodies.
ASTP-PROTON is a non-profit association based in Leiden, Netherlands, whose decision-making bodies consist of a Board and a General Assembly of members.
