Valorisation of FP7 Health and H2020 SC1 research results

Deadline: Apr 13, 2016  
CALL EXPIRED

Topic Description

Over 1,000 projects have been funded under the Health theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013) and close to 100 projects are already supported under the Societal Challenge 1 of Horizon 2020. These projects have and will lead to breakthrough discoveries and innovations with a potential for further valorisation and exploitation. The translation of research and innovation outcomes into new diagnostics or medicines and improved health outcomes for patients is however hampered by the scattering of knowledge generated across public and private research organisations in Europe. Although Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) have developed tools to promote their organisations’ innovations, there is potential for increased critical mass and visibility of these EU FP7 Health and Horizon 2020 SC1 projects' outcomes.

The objective of this coordination and support action is to develop a European web marketplace referencing all types of innovations such as patents, licensing opportunities, prototypes, products, technologies or services with a potential for future exploitation and/or commercialisation, primarily generated by FP7 Health and Horizon 2020 SC1 programmes.

The marketplace should become a one-stop-shop between innovation providers (mainly academic research organisations) and innovation developers (such as SMEs, midcaps and larger companies, EU research infrastructures). The further assessment and/or validation of any high-value discovery shall not be performed within the framework of the proposal.

Further exploitation should be widely promoted to innovation developers; therefore the proposal should detail how it intends to incentivise academia, TTOs, SMEs and the healthcare sector at large to ensure a broad use, exploitation and feeding of the marketplace in Europe. The proposal should include a solid monetization strategy to ensure sustainability of the marketplace after the end of the project.

TTOs with proven track records in exploitation of research results as well as business development departments from healthcare companies should be involved in the consortium to ensure a coherent and consistent approach between innovation providers and innovation developers. Special attention should be given to project outcomes in low performing Member States and Associated Countries[[As defined by Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence: Member States below 70% of the EU average of the Composite Indicator of Research Excellence. The Composite indicator of Research Excellence (with a corrective threshold of 70% of the EU average) has been selected to distinguish those countries identified as "low R&I performing" or "widening" countries. These are:

− Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

− Associated Countries (subject to valid association agreements of third countries with Horizon 2020): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.]]. Benchmarking of existing initiatives at European, Member States or international level (such as Enterprise Europe Network or the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Technology Transfer) is a prerequisite. This benchmarking should contribute to identifying best practices, rightly positioning contents and services of the marketplace, as well as defining Key Performance Indicators that will be monitored throughout the deployment of the marketplace.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 1 and 2 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

• Development of a sustainable one-stop-shop innovation marketplace promoting primarily EU FP7 Health and Horizon 2020 SC1 project outcomes
• Demonstrate clear impact of the marketplace in stimulating in- and out-licensing activity from TTOs, SMEs, and large pharmaceutical companies (ADD)
• Identify innovative, sustainable business models increasing the attractiveness of the marketplace, especially towards SMEs
• Identification and promotion of scientific discoveries as well as advice on possible value-adding strategies