Mirjam Leloux
Aard Groen

Nowadays, the valorization of research is a topic of enhanced interest at universities and public or private research institutes. Research organizations generally have a (considerable) portfolio of patents on their shelves, waiting for a sustainable exploitation strategy. However, the transfer of technologies from academia and other research institutes to commercial parties and/or the commercial exploitation of inventions is still in its infancy, as in-house business knowledge, experience and skills are often lacking. Moreover, financial valuation methods may be unknown, so the monetary value of technological inventions is generally difficult to obtain. Having experience in several technology transfer projects, we developed a novel technology business valuation model following a stepwise approach, starting at the invention, passing through a stage of business awareness creation and defining its business perspective, then entering the phase of business development and technology transfer after having elaborated on a process of business valuation, including both technological and financial points of view (Figure 1). In this paper we will discuss these phases in some detail.