Intellectual Property Licensing Intermediares

Expected impact:

The expected impact is to increase the visibility of IP licensing intermediary services among the relevant communities (clusters, sector, SME associations etc.).

The initiative is also likely to increase the business proposition of the participating IP licensing intermediaries.

It also aims at improving the business models of the supported start-ups and help develop a sustainable industry.

The initiative will also help the uptake of innovative solutions in technology areas of priority to the EC/EU such as digital, green and health as a result of the activities of the IP licensing intermediaries.

Indicators:

All proposals must monitor as a minimum the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Increase the visibility of such services among the relevant communities (clusters, sector, SME associations etc.).
• Increase the turnover of the supported start-ups.
• Minimum turnover in the technology areas of priority to the EC/EU.
• Refined business models of the support start-ups.

Objectives:

The objective of this call is to promote the uptake of IP licensing intermediary services, especially those using modern digital tools. Those services should facilitate the licensing out of technologies or business cases owned by European start-ups and SMEs.

The ultimate goal of the proposed services must be helping EU start-ups and SMEs to enter new foreign markets or to grow or to innovate faster.

Scope:

For the purpose of this call, IP refers to all intangible assets, including copyright, patent, trade mark, design right, plant variety right, geographic indication and semiconductor topographies, as well as trade secrets and know-how.

At least 75% of the proposed matching activities should refer to intangible assets owned by start-ups and SMEs operating in one of the 14 industrial ecosystems identified as priority for the EU policies, such as the Green Deal and the Digital Strategy. The proposed services can focus on only one or more of those ecosystems.

The licensing out of technology is particularly relevant for SMEs that would like to expand to foreign markets. Therefore, the intermediary services must be transnational, covering at least three EU Member States or SMP associated countries. Services for matching start-ups and SMEs established in eligible countries with companies established in third countries are also possible.

To facilitate the access of a large number of start-ups and SMEs to the proposed intermediary services, the use of web-based solutions is preferred.

Applicants must explain how they will cooperate with existing SME support structures (especially in relation to IP and research and innovation) during the implementation of the action. In particular, applicants should map available solutions developed in the context of Horizon 2020, COSME (Enterprise Europe Network and clusters) and the digital hubs, and explain how the proposed intermediary services complement the existing offer.

The main finding of the feasibility study is that there lacks a “demand” for innovative solutions. So the services should aim at developing strategies to identify and stimulate the “demand” for innovative solutions.

Progress reports must be sent to the granting authority explaining how the market develops, what are the challenges and what the approaches that generate more impact are. Non-confidential information about the number and the profile of the start-ups and SMEs using or showing interest in the proposed intermediary services must be included in the progress reports.

Intermediary services in the context of stick licensing processes or Standard Essential Patents are excluded from this call.

Funded activities:

Applicants must propose activities focused on the achievement of the objectives as described above.

The proposed intermediary services may comprise the following (non-exhaustive list):

• Developing strategies to identify “demand” for innovative solutions. This may include demand by entities operating for profit but also demand by entities that do not operate for profit, i.e. public institutions, communities, etc.
• Interviewing medium and large companies on their challenges to identify their innovation needs and defining matching services accordingly.
• Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to squat the innovation landscape (including patent databases), to look for projects that would fit the identified needs.
• Establishing a pool of medium and large companies that may demand innovative solutions.
• Supporting start-ups and SMEs to prepare their business case properly and assisting them through the licensing process.