The University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) and the Techtra Technology Transfer Institute jointly organized their first conference in Budapest from May 9 to 11, 2023. The three-day event aimed to strengthen interactions between universities and industry, promote technology transfer, and enhance the relationship between businesses and higher education.
The first joint conference of the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) and the Techtra Technology Transfer Institute took place from May 9-11, 2023. The event was hosted at the Budapest Congress Center. Over the course of three days, the conference focused on strengthening interactions between universities and industry, promoting technology transfer, and exploring future relationships between businesses and higher education. Participants had the opportunity to share insights, practices, and achievements in the field of knowledge and technology transfer. Established in 2012, UIIN held its first conference in Budapest, organized in collaboration with Techtra.
During the panel discussions at the event, participants had the opportunity to hear insights from distinguished experts such as Cristina Riesen, Founder and CEO of the Educreators Foundation; Diana El-Azar, Strategic Communications Director at the Minerva Project; Emma Salgård Cunha, Commercial Manager at the University of Cambridge; Kelly Sexton, Vice President for Research and Innovation Partnerships at the University of Michigan; Philipp Gerbert, CEO of TUM Venture Labs; Robert Giezendanner-Thoben, Director of Industry Relations at EPFL; and Roberta Malee Bassett, Global Lead for Higher Education at the World Bank.
The panel discussions focused on topics such as partnership and the future of education, entrepreneurial activities at universities, and the dynamics of knowledge space in future higher education.
On the first day of the conference, participants engaged in a workshop to explore the fundamentals of the Knowledge Space and Knowledge Triangle concepts. Moderated by Johan Blaus, Senior Business Relationship Advisor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Torbjörn Lundh, Deputy Chancellor at the University of Gothenburg, the workshop aimed to further develop these concepts with a particular focus on innovation and societal service.
During the three-day conference, UIIN and Techtra not only organized panel discussions, case studies, and research sharing hubs but also set up their own booth, promoting networking among attendees. This unique event provided more than 450 participants from over 60 countries with numerous opportunities to gain key strategic insights into the world of knowledge and technology transfer. It also allowed them to establish their own networks within this dynamically evolving subsystem.