Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Research | Knowledge Transfer / Patents

Knowledge and technology transfer

Humboldt-Universität regards the use of research findings for the benefit of society as a particular responsibility.

Innovation Management

The Innovation Management team offer HU scientist of all disciplines comprehensive consultation and advice for transferring knowledge and technology into markets and society. Together we analyse the application-orientation of your ideas. The objective is to commercialize your innovative research.

Patents and licences

Safeguarding the rights to inventions is imperative for effective marketing. HU aims to ensure that university inventions with the potential for wider use are legally protected. Its patent policy places equal importance on the bundling of rights and the equal treatment of all University members. HU supports the academic quality of its research findings by providing optimised patent protection. It also makes the general public aware of the quality of its work by filing its own patent applications.

Venture Service

HI and the Research Service Centre work closely together to promote knowledge and technology transfer by providing support to university spin-offs. Humboldt-Universität offers a wide range of services to research-based startup projects and spin-offs, including help with business plan development, guidance on funding and follow-up funding, training courses, premises for spin-offs, and assistance in finding co-founders.

Contract research and scientific services

Humboldt-Innovation GmbH (HI) promotes and manages research and development agreements as well as contracts for scientific services between HU scientists and private companies or the public sector. On behalf of the university, HI will manage all project stages from initiation and launch to administration and completion. On behalf of the Vice President for Research, both types of contracts will be negotiated and signed by Humboldt-Innovation GmbH (HI) for the project manager. The project manager is not authorized to legally sign such contracts. This ensures the legal use of HU resources, such as the staff, infrastructure or intellectual property.

Overview: Cooperation requests, contracts, transfer-related funding

New cooperation requests, requests for proposals, and relevant funding information can be accessed here: Read more (log-in required, page in German).

Knowledge and technology transfer newsletter

Read the latest news about knowledge and technology transfer at HU. Newsletter archive (page in German).