University of Groningen and UMCG: protecting knowledge to make an impact

Groningen has a strong innovative climate. “There is a lot going on here, often more than people realize,” says Breukink. The province, and the Campus in particular, has a growing ecosystem of startups and research projects. And Groningen initiatives are also gaining ground internationally. “In the latest Academic Startup Competition, for example, three of the ten finalists came from Groningen.”

The University of Groningen and the UMCG play an important role in this. The scientific research conducted here regularly leads to new products, processes, or applications, often with commercial potential. “Researchers then report to the IP team,” explains Breukink. “The first step is to fill in a so-called Invention Disclosure Form. Often, they are already working on a scientific article at that point, but a patent application first requires a legal translation. With a team of four IP advisors, we help them with that.”

Next, a patentability opinion is requested from an external partner such as V.O. “With a critical external perspective, they assess whether an invention is patentable and what obstacles may still lie ahead. We believe it is important to know this early on. The outcome may also be not to apply for a patent after all: better to have a limited number of strong applications than many mediocre ones.”

Every potential patent application is ultimately submitted to the university's Executive Board. ‘Once approved, we formally instruct V.O. to draft and submit the patent application. In most cases, the patent application is licensed out and the University of Groningen/UMCG remains the owner of the invention. The income generated from this goes into the patent fund, which we use to pay for new patent applications.’

The collaboration between the University of Groningen/UMCG and V.O. goes back a long way. ‘We know each other and know what we can expect from each other,’ says Breukink. ‘V.O.’s patent attorneys work directly with the researchers and are often familiar with the long-term research lines. Their substantive knowledge and experience enable them to contribute effectively and critically to the researchers’ work. That inspires confidence.’

Breukink knows that V.O.'s size also offers advantages. “The many patent attorneys and their diverse technical backgrounds provide capacity and flexibility. And because V.O. also has an office here in Groningen, we can easily visit each other.”

The collaboration with V.O. led, among other things, to the spin-off New Born Rubber: a method of recycling rubber from car tires in such a way that the material has almost the same properties as new rubber. “An academic invention that won't get published in Nature, but does help solve a huge social problem. With the help of the patent, the inventor has now set up a compact production line and is on his way to market application.”

Another success story is Portal Biotech BV, a platform for sequencing individual proteins based on nanopore technology. “The professor behind this is already on his tenth patent application. You can see that it's getting easier and easier. He knows the process and involves us in his ideas at an earlier stage. This spin-off has now achieved international success and raised €30 million last year.”

Although a patent application basically follows a fixed step-by-step plan, Breukink sees that each process is different. “Sometimes you have a researcher who is eager to market something but is not the best entrepreneur. And sometimes you have a professor who is only interested in the scientific side of a breakthrough, where we think: there is more to be gained here.”

The close collaboration between the University of Groningen and the UMCG is essential, says Breukink. “We form a single IP team for both organizations. We also work closely with Business Generator Groningen and the UMCG Innovation Center; their business developers help researchers translate their scientific knowledge and findings into practice. This allows us to pool our knowledge, respond more quickly, and speak with one clear voice, including to V.O.”

Breukink and his colleagues always try to remain solution-oriented. Even if a PhD candidate calls two weeks before their defense to ask if ‘something can still be arranged’. ‘I think it’s a shame to say no straight away. We always look at what’s still possible – even if it’s just to salvage what can be salvaged. In such cases, V.O. thinks along with us about how to achieve maximum protection within the available time."

Annemiek Tepper (V.O.) and Joost Breukink (RUG/UMCG)          

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