Patents and innovation in European universities

David Matthews, International Editor, Science|Business
David is the International Editor at Science|Business, where he reports on European research and technology policy. He focuses on geopolitics, funding innovation and sectors such as artificial intelligence and nuclear fusion. Previously, he was the Europe correspondent for Times Higher Education. David is based in Berlin and covers the intersection of science, technology and global innovation.

Yann Ménière, Chief Economist, European Patent Office
Yann joined the European Patent Office (EPO) as Chief Economist in 2016. He brings extensive experience in providing economic insights on patents, innovation and economic growth. Yann regularly contributes his high-level expertise and analysis to public and expert forums. Previously, he led the Chair on IP and Markets for Technology at MINES ParisTech, where he was a professor of economics and lectured on the economics of intellectual property.

Josep M. Garrel, President, European University Association
Josep is the former Rector of Ramon Llull University (URL), Spain, and was elected European University Association (EUA) President in 2023. Josep holds a doctorate in electronic engineering and has held several leadership roles at URL, including  Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation (2002-2010) and Secretary General (2006-2010). He co-founded the Intelligent Systems Investigation Group, specialising in AI and machine learning, and has conducted research at Carnegie Mellon University’s Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.

Alexandr Hobza, Chief Economist, Directorate-General for Research & Innovation, European Commission
Alexandr is Chief Economist at the Directorate-General for Research & Innovation, European Commission, where he leads evidence-based policymaking on science, technology and innovation. He served as a Vice-Chair of the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy. Previously, he worked on structural reform assessments and advised the Director-General of DG ECFIN. Alexandr holds a PhD from the Prague University of Economics and Business and a degree in quantitative economics from the Free University of Brussels (ULB).

Maria Olivares, Head of Innovation and Director UZH Innovation Hub, University of Zurich
Maria is the Director of the UZH Innovation Hub and Head of Innovation at the University of Zurich. With over seven years of experience in developing university innovation frameworks, she specialises in technology transfer and strategic partnerships. Previously, she managed technology transfer projects at Disney Research. Maria holds a PhD in Management and Economics and has an extensive background in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation across various sectors, including life sciences and digital technologies.

Philipp Gerbert, Chief Executive Officer, TUM Venture Labs
Philipp is the CEO of TUM Venture Labs, a network of integrated sciencepreneurship incubators in deep tech and life sciences across 12 domains (www.tum-venture-labs.de). He was previously a senior partner at BCG, serving tech-driven enterprises, with a focus on climate action and AI in business. Philipp has a background in quantum physics, holds a PhD from MIT and has spent his professional life on both sides of the Atlantic, including many years in Silicon Valley.

Fabrice Lefebvre, Vice-President Metrics & Impact, ASTP
Fabrice is a chemical engineer with a PhD in chemical sciences and a management degree. He has held leadership roles in R&D and innovation, managing profit centres in large and small companies. Since 2018, he has been the President of SATT Nord, a technology transfer office for 13 PROS and universities, and in 2024, Fabrice became Vice-President of Metrics and Impact at ASTP Board.

Francesco Lissoni, Professor of Economics, Bordeaux School of Economics
Francesco is Professor of Economics at the Bordeaux School of Economics, a Research Associate of the Department of Political Economy at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan and a Fellow of the Collaborative Institute on Migration in Paris. A PhD graduate of the University of Manchester, his research focuses on the economics of science, innovation and knowledge diffusion, with expertise in university-industry technology transfer and STEM international migration.

Tomas Coates Ulrichsenn, Director, Policy Evidence Unit for University Commercialisation and Innovation, University of Cambridge
Tomas is the Director of the Policy Evidence Unit for University Commercialisation and Innovation (UCI) at the University of Cambridge and National Advisor to Research England, the funding agency for English universities, on knowledge exchange metrics. Over the past decade, his work has been instrumental in informing the development of UK policies and funding programmes for the commercialisation of university research. A key focus of his work at UCI is on evidencing the health, functioning and performance of the university spinout ecosystem in the UK.

Peter Neuhäusler, Coordinator of Business Unit Competitiveness and Innovation Measurement, Fraunhofer ISI
Peter is Coordinator of the Business Unit Competitiveness and Innovation Measurement at the Competence Center Innovation and Knowledge Economy at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) in Karlsruhe, Germany. His research focuses on patent statistics, bibliometrics and innovation indicators. Peter holds a doctorate in innovation economics from TU Berlin, where he also serves as a research fellow at the Chair of Innovation Economics. 

Reinhilde Veugelers, Professor, KU Leuven
Reinhilde is a full professor at KU Leuven in the Department of Management, Strategy and Innovation. She is a Senior Fellow at Bruegel and Peterson Institute for International Economics. Her research focuses on global innovation value chains, climate change innovation and young innovative companies. She has served as an advisor to the European Commission and on the ERC Scientific Council, contributing to science and innovation policy.

Fernando Conesa Cegarra, Director UPV-Innovation, Polytechnic University of Valencia
Fernando is the Director of the knowledge transfer office at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV).  With a PhD in innovation systems, he leads UPV’s technology transfer activities, spin-off programs and proof-of-concept initiatives. He is a certified Registered Technology Transfer Professional and has advised tech transfer offices in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. Fernando also co-founded RedTransfer, a Spanish association of tech transfer managers.

Olivier Gilleaux, Executive Officer for Applied Research and Innovation, ULiege RISE of the University of Liege, RTTP
Olivier is the Executive Officer for Applied Research and Innovation at ULiege RISE, the Knowledge Transfer Office of the University of Liège. He oversees strategic projects, licensing and spin-off creation. With a master’s in civil engineering (electronics) and a European thesis in electrical engineering, he spent 15 years managing R&D projects in medical and industrial electronics. Since 2011, Olivier has been driving research innovation at ULiege RISE. He is also co-chair of the ASTP Survey Committee and holds leadership roles in various research networks.

Karin Hofmann, Technology Transfer Manager, Technische Universität Wien
Karin has more than 20 years of technology transfer experience. She has been involved in setting up the university’s technology transfer office, designing the university’s IPR policy, contract negotiations and commercialising university inventions in mechanical engineering, 3D-printing, and other areas. She also is president of LES Austria and co-chair of the LESI Education Committee.

Cornelia Peuser, Stream Leader Diversity & Transformation, Observatory on Patents and Technology, European Patent Office
Cornelia is a Stream Leader in the Observatory on Patents and Technology at the European Patent Office (EPO), responsible for making patent data and information accessible to a wider audience. She coordinates Observatory projects and acts as a liaison between internal and external stakeholders. Cornelia brings her background in economics and experience in the IP service industry to her role at the EPO.

Yiannis Dimitrakopoulos, Technology Transfer Office Manager, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Yiannis is the Technology Transfer Office Manager at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). He holds a BSc in mathematics, with postgraduate studies in the field of Operational Research and Business Mathematics and also holds a PhD in Operational Research, focusing on queueing theory and stochastic optimisation. He manages NKUA’s IP portfolio, supports the launch of university spinouts and provides training workshops for researchers and technology transfer offices across Greece.

Dolores Volkert, Head of EIT Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Initiative, EIT RawMaterials
Dolores heads the EIT Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Initiative, driving efforts to enhance the innovation and entrepreneurial capabilities of higher education institutions across Europe. With a strong legal background and extensive experience in senior strategy roles in North America and Germany, Dolores is passionate about creating impactful programmes and advancing technology transfer initiatives in higher education and research. Her dynamic leadership fosters collaboration and catalyses transformation in the academic landscape.

Giovanna Oddo, Programme Area Manager for Academia, European Patent Office
Giovanna is the Learning Programmes Manager for Universities at the European Patent Academy, promoting and implementing IP training and education projects across academia in the 39 EPC Contracting states. She has extensive experience in collaborating with universities, technology transfer offices and research centres in the field of IP and co-ordinates joint activities with other international and European stakeholders, including the European Commission, EUIPO and OECD. Before joining the EPO, Giovanna worked in public relations and marketing in both the US and Europe.

Sofia Vairinho, IP expert, University of Algarve
Sofia holds a PhD in law and a master's in business law. She is a guest faculty member at the University of Algarve and the Head of the Unit for Industrial Property Promotion (GAPI Algarve, an EPO PATLIB Centre) within the Division of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer (CRIA UAlg). She also has extensive experience in the field of protection and knowledge valorisation, having previously served as the Manager for Business Development and Licensing at Carnegie Mellon University.