IPR management & technology transfer

In its daily functioning, the European Institutions create, procure, acquire, and disseminate intangible assets that may take the form of Intellectual Property (IP), like copyright or trademark. In addition, technical inventions developed by the JRC or in the frame of strategic programmes such as the Satellite Navigation programme Galileo or the ITER project are often protected by patent or design.

 

In light of the above, the European Commission needs to ensure the sound management of its IP assets and maximise their impact on Society while at the same time maintaining its commitment to wider use and spread of Commission information.

 

Because the JRC creates most of the IP rights of the Commission, the responsibility for the administrative execution of IP Rights related decisions was conferred to the Director-General of the JRC in 2001. The JRC has therefore developed expertise in the identification, protection, and management of IP assets, and, in particular in the case of technological inventions, their transfer to third parties with the aim to maximise their impact on society. Examples of such technological inventions can be found in the JRC technology portfolio.

 

Using their expertise developed over the years, the JRC experts take an active role in the Commission policy-making process for policies related to IP and Technology Transfer. They also contribute to raise the awareness of the staff of the EU institutions on IP, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship. To support innovation in Europe, the JRC also launched in 2011 the European Technology Transfer Offices CIRCLE, which brings together the technology Transfer Offices of the largest European Public Research Organisations.

 

These pages intend to give an overview of the practices of the JRC in IP management and Technology Transfer and provide more information on the European TTO CIRCLE.