Objectives

The 19th edition of the conference is organized by partners from two national consortia of knowledge and technology transfer offices, representing 13 public research organizations. The Jožef Stefan Institute is serving as the leading responsible partner for the organization of the conference.
Our aim is to promote knowledge exchange between academia and industry, in order to strengthen the cooperation and transfer of innovations from research labs into industrial exploitation. Our goal is also further strengthening the knowledge base and experiences of technology transfer professionals at public research organizations. In the past events, we hosted more than 2600 participants, including investors, inventors, researchers, commercialization experts, start-up funders, industrial development experts etc.
We have successfully organized several competitions to award the technology with the best business proposition, which led to successful start-ups and licensing contracts. 
Conference Focus in 2026 
Co-creation as the joint production and valorization of knowledge between industry, research, innovation and other stakeholders is pivotal element of the European Commission’s recommendation on a Code of Practice on industry-academia co-creation for knowledge valorization (2024) to stimulate knowledge valorization in Europe with providing guidance and tools to create enabling environment and thriving conditions for co-creation. These endeavors are continuation of the initiatives, set in the Council recommendation on the guiding principles for knowledge valorization (2022), Commission recommendation on a Code of Practice on the management of intellectual assets for knowledge valorization (2023) and Commission recommendation on a Code of Practice on standardization (2023), which were main points of the discussion at the 16th ITTC. Industry-academia do-creation presents in this regard a next step on the field of knowledge valorization and as such, the19th ITTC will complement these topics with the current directions on the expert and political level.
Key areas of discussion in 2026 include

  • Efficient industry-academia co-creation as an option for developing new technologies, products and services for the most pressing challenges of contemporary societies (i.e. ensuring fair green and digital transition).
  • Transition to industry-academia co-creation framework with its implementation and relevance in the organization’s strategy, accompanied with providing incentives and raising awareness on the mutual benefits and value-creation opportunities.
  • Strengthening industry-academia co-creation through lifelong learning and transforming knowledge into skills, competences and innovations of researchers, TTOs and partners.
  • Options to facilitate industry-academia co-creation through networking, matchmaking communication and relationship-building with engaging different stakeholders.
  • Defining, setting and coordinating required and necessary conditions and measures for a joint industry-academia partnership framework in order to achieve effective knowledge valorization, while fostering the role of intermediaries and promotion of the outcomes of the co-creation activities.
  • Qualitative and quantitative metrics for the analysis of the industry-academia co-creation process with its outcomes, value created and impact.

By bringing together policymakers, funding agencies, research institutions, and entrepreneurs, the conference will work toward coordinated, actionable strategies to strengthen industry-academia co-creation.

Conference Prize for the Best Innovation in 2026The main objective of the special prize for innovation is to encourage commercialization of inventive/innovative technologies developed at public research organizations and to promote cooperation between research organizations and enterprises.

One of the main objectives is also promoting the entrepreneurship possibilities and good practices in the public research organizations.

Researchers are preparing business models for their technologies and will present them in front of an international expert panel in a pitch competition. However, they will need support in the form of commercial assistance and financial resources to bridge the gap to the market and establish a start-up company or license out their technology. How shall they do it?

Pitch competitions in the last years resulted in spin-out company creation or licensing case development in at least one case per competition each year. For more info about the prize click here.

WIPO National Award for Enterprises
The aim is to stimulate Slovenian enterprises to intensify their cooperation with public research organizations. We wish to expose as a good practice those enterprises that are constantly and methodologically using the IP system in their business activities. For more info about the award click here.

WIPO National Award for Inventors
The goal of the Medal is to award inventive and innovative activity of Slovenian public researcher and to recognize their contribution to national wealth and development. For more info about the award click here.  

Key Stakeholders
The conference will involve different key stakeholders in the process such as public research organizations as knowledge providers, technology parks as infrastructure providers, agencies, consultants, capital (VC, agencies, angels), SMEs, international enterprises, private innovators, etc.

Target Audience and Benefits
The target audience of the conference are technology transfer experts, researchers, students and post-graduate students with entrepreneurial ambitions, representatives of industry, established and future entrepreneurs, innovators and also representatives from governmental institutions and policy-making organizations.