Innovation activity at University of Oulu in 2022
Kirjoittanut Jouko Uusitalo
A year has passed, and it's time to report University of Oulu's innovation activity results. University's and researchers' innovation activity has gone on strong, and few records were made in patent- and licensing fields.
Coordination and development of innovation activities are duties of Innovation Centre and grass roots of that duty is meeting with researchers. 1400 of these meetings were recorded, in which we cooperatively moved forward with patenting, licensing and commercializing plans, for example.
We also discussed about their research and projects trying to find inventiveness and possible future commercial potential. Grass-roots activity includes also different info-events and trainings, which we organized 34 in total.
A record year for patents
The number of invention disclosures and copyright announcements has been recent years on the rise despite Covid-19. Last year there were 56, from which almost half were made in open research and the rest in commissioned or contracted research. All 14 inventions from contracted research were transferred into client’s possession for possible patenting process.
For other inventions last year Innovation Centre applied patent for nine, and for several inventions the application is filed in the beginning of 2023. University was granted with record breaking seven new patents, which were the first grants of new patent families.
University also made record number of contracts related to commercializing, seven in total. Last year researchers were paid invention and patenting rewards for almost 60 000 euros.
From net licensing incomes of university, researchers are paid from 40 to 60 %, and in addition researcher is rewarded a commission from made invention and patent commission from an application and granted patent.
Working concepts with joined funding
Proof of Concept (PoC) funding has an essential role in the commercialization of research results, which was available for 150 000 euros, with addition of 121 000 euros from City of Oulu.
These fundings of around 20 000 euros/case were applied with 23 applications, from which 13 got the funding and used it for 3-4 months of work to get first prototype or other technical implementation for their research-based business idea.
In addition to prototypes there were two successful applications for Business Finland’s Research to Business (R2B) funding, great patent applications and new inventions.
Hopeful views on future
Last year the university had 12 active commercializing projects aiming into startup business. They all are based on research and have an ongoing or already finished R2B project. On year 2022 the amount of new R2B applications was lowest in ages, and positive decisions we got for two research groups.
The increased invention activity of researchers is a promising sign for coming years. Positive results from the two finished R2B -projects were the new companies Emedpatch Oy and Lessonlab Oy.
Jouko Uusitalo
Business Development Manager / Liiketoiminnan kehittämispäällikkö
+358 50 476 9717, jouko.uusitalo@oulu.fi
Innovaatiokeskuksen esimies; asiakaspäällikkötoiminnan ohjaus; innovaatiotoiminta; tutkimustulosten kaupallistaminen; yritysyhteistyö; Proof-of-concept -rahoitus.
