24 Oct Training

Raising awareness to enhance: the role of training in technology transfer

In carrying out scientific research projects, especially basic ones, recognizing the application potential of a result can be a real challenge. Yet, it is precisely at that juncture that a fundamental game is played: that between the simple publication and the possibility of transforming a discovery into a concrete innovation. For this reason, informing and training the staff of the Institute is a strategic priority for the INFN.

When a researcher comes across a scientific or technological result with potential applications outside the world of research, it is crucial that he or she is aware of it, so that he or she can contact the TTO in a timely manner. Only in this way can the best strategy for protection and enhancement be assessed, also in collaboration with the business world. Without this awareness, there is a risk of losing valuable opportunities: a premature publication or presentation at a conference could compromise private interest and investment in the engineering and industrialization of technology. On the other hand, some industrialization projects, without the financial commitment of a company, remain forgotten prototypes at the bottom of the drawer.

No one forgets the institutional commitment of the INFN towards Open Science, directed towards the widest and freest possible dissemination of research results. The question is not so much to hinder the sharing of knowledge, but rather to consciously decide whether to activate forms of protection, such as patents for inventions, before publishing an article. And it’s not true that filing a patent takes longer than writing a good paper!

To promote this awareness, as part of the Internal Training Plan, the TTO periodically organizes courses open to all interested research personnel. The 2025 edition was held at LNF on 16 and 17 October. “It was a successful initiative in which face-to-face training was privileged to get to know each other, grow together and bring out the essence of technology transfer through the comparison between people and the analysis of real cases” Says Ilaria Giammarioli, Head of the Technology Transfer Service and teacher of the course.

Participants were able to see that technology transfer and the notions of intellectual property, often perceived as complex and difficult subjects, can instead be powerful and agile tools for the benefit of a research institution pursuing scientific objectives. Alongside researchers, the TTO is committed to bringing the effects of their work to the market, without distracting from scientific activity, but rather facilitating and enhancing it.

Alongside training opportunities such as the course just concluded, it is possible, for those who have questions or need clarification, to contact the TT Contact Persons, key figures in the organization of INFN Technology Transfer, who are located throughout the territory and appointed by the Facility Directors. The Referents, in fact, can provide support to colleagues and bring out those results that, if used in other contexts, benefit society.

Training is the first step in building a solid and widespread culture of technology transfer.

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