Technology Transfer: From Invention to Innovation
From foundational patents to collaborative startup ecosystems, this two-part series explores how inventions move from lab to market. Start with Invention, Patents, and the Foundations of Technology Transfer or jump to Institutions, Incubators, and Industry in Technology Transfer to see how research becomes real-world impact.
Invention, Patents, and the Foundations of Technology Transfer
Transformation, innovation, disruption—these buzzwords have shaped discussions around startups since the very beginning. At their core lies a fundamental process: invention, or the technological development of a specific context.
Inventors Who Shaped Communication
Some of the most renowned figures in wireless communication include Heinrich Hertz and Samuel Morse, whose discoveries are now part of scientific and technological vocabulary. Others gained fame by founding companies that commercialized their inventions. Lars Magnus Ericsson and Guglielmo Marconi are two such innovators whose names are directly associated with products and technological legacies. In contrast, Alexander Graham Bell’s name is no longer as strongly associated with the company he co-founded (AT&T). Instead, his legacy lives on through institutions like Bell Labs, now part of Nokia. There are also researchers like Reginald Fessenden and John Stone Stone, who made essential contributions to communication technology but remain relatively unknown outside specialist circles.
When Invention Becomes a Collective Effort
Not every invention has a single, clearly identified inventor. Radio, for example, is a product of overlapping contributions by multiple researchers and inventors (Wikipedia: History of Radio). This is partly due to the complexity of the invention process, the number of patents embedded within the technology, and the long timeline required to develop a fully functional product. Today, most inventions rely on many interconnected patents. As a result, innovation builds upon innovation. The smartphone, for instance, is a product shaped by hundreds of patented technologies working together (Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 2015).
The Power—and Limitations—of Patents
Patents provide companies with a temporary monopoly, offering protection from competition and securing investments in research and development (see Patent Act PatG; Fisch, 2024). They are also a vital revenue stream for research institutions. In the U.S., the Bayh-Dole Act enables universities to commercialize publicly funded research and share the proceeds with the inventors. Beyond remuneration, patents offer “freedom to operate”—they allow companies to use their inventions without infringing on third-party intellectual property. They also serve as important tools for collaboration and licensing. Interestingly, one of the most famous critics of patents was Lars Magnus Ericsson. As noted in his Wikipedia article, Ericsson’s company leveraged a legal loophole in Sweden, where Bell’s telephone patent was not enforceable. This enabled them to copy Bell’s invention and sell it freely on the Swedish market.
Patents as a Vehicle for Technology Transfer
In many cases, patents are the launching point for technology transfer—the process of turning research into practical applications. They play a central role for deep-tech startups as valuable assets when pitching to clients and investors. Patents can also result from collaborations between companies and research institutions. Technology transfer is, in fact, a cornerstone of the modern scientific system. It constitutes one of academia’s three core missions, alongside research and teaching. Its purpose is to ensure that knowledge is made publicly available through economic utilization.
Patents are also evolving from static protections into strategic tools for collaboration and growth. As Philipp Walk, co-founder of MOXZ, explained in an interview with us back in January, startups can use patents not just to protect innovation but to actively engage with shifting industry standards and licensing ecosystems. This dynamic approach helps deep-tech ventures stay agile and unlock new commercialization paths.
Who Drives Tech Transfer?
On an individual level, university professors aged 45 to 59, especially those with management responsibilities, are particularly active in transfer activities (Canino et al., 2024). Non-university organizations are generally more engaged in technology transfer than traditional universities. In many cases, a small number of highly active academics lead major partnerships with business, politics, and society. Despite its importance, the overall level of transfer engagement is still relatively low. Many activities are limited to professional social media presence or participation in high-profile events, rather than deeper collaborations. According to Prof. Dr. Martina Schraudner of Fraunhofer IAO, greater institutional support, incentives, and recognition are essential to boost technology transfer (Brain City Berlin, 2024). Necessary improvements include better access to contact points, programs, networks, training, and leadership support. Time and personnel resources are also critical. Financial rewards or career advancement opportunities tied to transfer success are still rarely implemented in many research institutions.
Institutions, Incubators, and Industry in Technology Transfer
As research moves closer to application, a variety of players step in to support the journey from idea to enterprise. Research institutes, universities, and industry leaders each offer unique approaches to technology transfer. Let's start with how research institutes foster innovation through direct support for startups.
Incubators, Hackathons, and Industry Partnerships
Fraunhofer HHI partnered with Silicon Allee to establish an in-house incubation process that helps turn research into viable startups. This initiative not only improves the success rate of new ventures but also raises awareness of entrepreneurship as a career path for scientists.
To illustrate, let’s take a look at the Silicon Allee Hackathon 2024: participants were invited to develop business ideas based on four selected research projects or patents from Fraunhofer HHI. They had 48 hours to work out their ideas and pitch their new applications for technologies born in the lab.
The event highlighted the challenge of turning highly specialized solutions developed through research into real-world applications. This is where patents become relevant again, as several technological developments are often combined to create a product or make it marketable in the first place.
Just as research institutes like Fraunhofer HHI create targeted pathways to support spin-offs and startups, universities build complementary ecosystems that foster innovation across disciplines. At Technische Universität Berlin, this approach combines entrepreneurial support, research commercialization, and collaboration with industry partners to drive technology transfer at scale.
What does transfer look like at universities?
Universities are pivotal in facilitating technology transfer, and Technische Universität Berlin exemplifies this through its comprehensive support structures. The university's Research and Technology Transfer Department is divided into four sections: Centre for Entrepreneurship, Research Service Area, EU Office and Research Contracts, Licenses and Patents.
Together, these four sections cover the entire innovation lifecycle—from developing disruptive business models and securing diverse research funding, to negotiating industry contracts, managing intellectual property, and navigating European funding programs.
Key offerings include:
Matching researchers and industry companies to facilitate collaboration
Providing guidance at every stage of the technology transfer process
Supporting early-stage ventures through the TU's dedicated StarTUp incubation program
Through these initiatives, TU Berlin ensures that scientific discoveries are effectively translated into practical solutions, fostering innovation and contributing to economic growth as well as pursuing societal and environmental impact.
Beyond academic institutions and specialized incubators (for an overview, see our article Three ComTech-Incubators and Accelerators you should know about), corporations also play a crucial role in technology transfer by building dedicated R&D ecosystems and fostering partnerships that help scale research-driven ideas into real-world solutions.
Vodafone’s Approach to Technology Transfer
Vodafone’s Tech Innovation Center in Dresden is a research and development hub focused on advancing technologies for 5G and 6G networks. Led by Ralf Irmer, the center follows a co-creation approach, aiming to integrate cost-efficient innovations into Vodafone’s own network. Through its national UPLIFT program, Vodafone collaborates with external partners—including startups, companies, and research institutions—to address real-world challenges that align with Vodafone’s technology roadmap.
Rather than acting as a traditional investor, Vodafone now primarily serves as an intermediary and sales platform, connecting external innovations to its network and service operations. A small, specialized team supports these collaborations. One example is DroNet Hub, a platform linking drone technologies to practical use cases within Vodafone’s areas of operation. Additional fields of application include health, mobility, security, automotive, industrial production, construction, and the metaverse. The center also provides testbeds for technologies like campus networks and network slicing, working with partners such as Leipzig Airport and Stadtwerke Leipzig.
In federally funded projects, Vodafone places particular emphasis on collaborating with startups. Although Vodafone Germany previously invested directly in young companies, it has shifted away from active investment, instead pursuing strategic acquisitions where appropriate. One such acquisition was RadioOpt, a TU Dresden spin-off specializing in network performance measurement via smartphones, which Vodafone integrated in 2016.
On a global level, Vodafone supports scale-ups through Tomorrow Street, an incubation initiative based in Luxembourg created in partnership with the local government.
The Bottom Line
Whether emerging from a hackathon, an academic program, or a corporate incubator, successful technology transfer relies on a supportive network. These examples show that while pathways may differ, the goal remains the same: transforming groundbreaking research into innovations that make an impact.
As we explored in Part 1, transferring research into real-world applications requires more than invention alone—it demands strong ecosystems that support, protect, and propel ideas forward.
For founders, the message is simple: you’re not alone, and the path from research to impact is better mapped than ever. But it still requires navigation. Understanding the landscape—where to find support, what partners can unlock momentum, and how to engage the right programs—can make the difference between a good idea and a real-world solution.