TechTransfer : /en/applied-research/techtransfer/

Services for Companies

Ampoule Small

Universities of Applied Sciences rely on a combination of public and private sources for funding, which is why having industrial partners is an important part of their research strategy. At the HEIA-FR, academic-industrial collaborations take the form of strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships that lead to real-world solutions and bring tangible benefits to our partners, their clients and society at large. It is the specific mission of the Tech Transfer Office to facilitate technology transfer towards the industry while helping to create new outlets and opportunities for the work of HEIA-FR researchers.

There are several possible models of collaboration for the HEIA-FR and industry: 

Industry-funded research projects
  • Application-oriented R&D in areas of mutual interest
  • Project costs are financed by the industrial partner
  • In principle, the industrial partner acquires exclusive rights to IP for commercial use in its field of application
  • The HEIA-FR retains IP rights outside of the industrial partner’s field of application

Publicly-funded research projects
  • The HEIA-FR receives funding from a funding organization to help the industrial partner improve its products or create new ones
  • The industrial partner makes contributions to the project in cash and/or kind
  • IP rights are determined in accordance with the rules of the funding organization (for ex., Innosuisse: at least one non-exclusive IP license in the industrial partner’s field of application; exclusivity is possible)

Research collaborations        
  • Strategic collaborations in pursuit of a common interest
  • Mixed research teams consisting of researchers from HEIA-FR and industry
  • Financing and collaborative framework are negotiated on a case by case basis

Research mandates
  • Mandates for feasibility studies or other specific company needs, such as evaluating design concepts or carrying out tests
  • Studies or tests are financed by the industrial partner
  • Results belong to the industrial partner

Other forms of collaboration
  • The HEIA-FR is open to considering other types of partnerships