In terms of innovation and research and development spending in the European Union, Poland ranks among the last. Nevertheless, Poland performs well in intellectual assets. How can Poland’s potential be harnessed and turned into economic success? The Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) highlights the critical role of research transfer to the market. The FNP has just launched the PRIME project to help scientists bring their research findings to the market. The project receives funding through the European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) programme.
According to the European Central Bank’s publication, innovations drive progress and economic growth by creating new opportunities that enhance productivity and competitiveness[1].
The European Commission’s report entitled “European Innovation Scoreboard 2023” states that Poland ranks poorly in terms of innovation: 25th out of 28 studied countries[2]. At the same time, Poland performs well in intellectual assets dimension, which captures different forms of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) generated by the innovation process, including PCT patent applications, trademark applications, and design applications. In this category, Poland holds 16th position, outperforming France, Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, or Ireland, while maintaining the average EU level from 2016. Meanwhile, many EU countries have seen declines in patent applications as well as rights in registration of utility models and industrial designs[3] .
“Poland’s relatively strong position in intellectual assets clearly shows a phenomenon we have observed as an organization working closely with the academic community: our country’s big potential to bring to market products and services based on innovative concepts and research results. The problem is that the ideas that originate from scientific projects often fail to align with current market needs and customer expectations”, says Dr Marcelina Firkowska, Head of the Academic Entrepreneurship Team at the Foundation for Polish Science.
Barriers to Science and Business Collaboration
Knowledge-based economy is the precondition of innovation and competitive advantage. What fuels innovation and jobs creation is entrepreneurship, including academic entrepreneurship[4]. However, the FNP-commissioned study “Collaboration Principles and Relations Between Scientific and Economic Institutions in the TEAM-TECH Programme” indicates several barriers to the development of academic entrepreneurship: intellectual property valuation policies that complicate commercialization process, insufficient competencies of scientific institutions in managing intellectual property, limited operational capacity of technology transfer centers, etc.[5]
Support for the Transfer of Scientific Research to the Economy: The FNP Launches the PRIME Project
For over 30 years, the Foundation for Polish Science has supported science, including through programmes that aid different aspects of commercialization and academic entrepreneurship, such as INNOWATOR, VENTURES, IMPULS, and TEAM-TECH. Built on past experiences, the Foundation’s current offer includes complementary programmes that assist academic community members at various stages of the commercialization process.
To further expand its offer in this respect, the FNP has just launched PRIME, a programme aimed at supporting the commercialization of science. Designed for research organizations, the project will help scientists introduce their achievements to the market.
PRIME will provide support in forming project teams focused on commercialization, identifying real market needs, and creating development strategies for products that address those needs. Project participants will learn how to prepare offers that respond to actual customer demands and how to devise the most adequate strategies for launching products, including establishing and developing spin-off companies. Project teams will comprise scientific leaders (idea creators), technology transfer officers, and business leaders. Business mentors and industry experts will work with them at every stage to help them verify product-market fit, identify potential customers, and connect with strategic partners. Customized, certified training, workshops, bootcamps, and study visits will strengthen participants’ skills.
“With this project, we created an individualized approach to commercialization. We do not believe in a ‘one size fits all’ model when it comes to transferring research results. Every idea and technology requires a different perspective, knowledge, strategy, network, and communication method to reach potential customers or investors. For this reason, PRIME stands out as Poland’s only tailored acceleration programme for knowledge and technology transfer, offering scholars individual support at every step in the innovation commercialization process – from A to Z,” explains dr Marcelina Firkowska.
To further reinforce PRIME’s practical nature, the FNP engaged in collaboration with Oxentia, a British consulting firm. The firm brings expertise from Oxford’s science commercialization environment and extensive international practical experience in intellectual asset management, knowledge and technology transfer, intellectual property valuation, spinoff creation, and securing additional funding for academic enterprises. The firm’s expert practitioners will mentor and train participants.
“At Oxentia, our mission is to bring new ideas to life. With a proven track record of working alongside thousands of academic entrepreneurs, founders, and technology transfer offices (TTOs) around the world, we’ve empowered them to create successful and impactful ventures. While our roots are in Oxford’s rich tradition of technology transfer, our work spans more than 80 countries, embodying the principle that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach, as reflected in the philosophy of PRIME.
For the PRIME program, we are delivering a fully customized approach designed to provide impactful support to academic staff, entrepreneurs, and TTOs. Our goal is to equip them with the skills, strategies, and insights required to excel in today’s dynamic and interconnected global landscape. We are thrilled to collaborate with FNP to foster innovation and advance entrepreneurial success in Poland, leveraging the country’s outstanding research potential and strengthening its position on the global stage”, says Dr Steve Cleverley, Oxentia CEO.
PRIME will create opportunities for participants to establish effective collaborations with businesses entities. In turn, the collaborations will increase market awareness and develop promising technologies ready for licensing or sale. Moreover, the project will support socially engaged services provided by research organizations. “We also hope that the programme will lead to well-conceived spin-off companies that will implement project-developed technologies with reduced business risk in the future,” adds Firkowska. The programme’s most significant outcome will probably be creation of highly skilled personnel in Polish scientific institutions, including those lacking professional support from technology transfer centers. This will create long-term benefits, contributing to Poland’s innovation growth for many years to come.
The PRIME project receives funding through the European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) programme. The Foundation for Polish Science is the beneficiary of the programme.
The details of the first application round for the project will be announced at the beginning of December 2024.
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[1] How does innovation lead to growth?, European Central Bank, June 27, 2017.
[2] “Innovation Union Scoreboard 2023,” Hollanders, Hugo, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission), European Union, 2023.
[3] “Innovation Union Scoreboard 2023,” Hollanders, Hugo, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission), European Union, 2023.
[4] “Mechanisms for facilitating academic entrepreneurship in higher education,” Ana Isabel Gaspar Pacheco, João Ferreira, Jorge Simoes, Pedro Mota Veiga, Marina Dabic, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 30.6/2024.
[5] Badanie zasad współpracy i relacji pomiędzy instytucjami naukowymi i gospodarczymi w programie TEAM TECH, Foundation for Polish Science, April 2019
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