Key areas of discussion in 2025 include
– Developing a robust spin-out support system, with clear pathways from excellent science to market-ready ventures;
– Addressing Slovenia-specific challenges such as limited access to early-stage finance, the need for business-oriented team members in academic spin-outs, and enabling “soft landing” options for researchers returning to academia if their ventures don’t succeed;
– Ensuring access to key infrastructure, innovation networks, and tailored support services that enable spin-outs to validate, develop, and scale their technologies within a supportive ecosystem;
– Aligning EU and national instruments to streamline the transition from research to innovation — building synergies between ERC (frontier research), EIC (breakthrough innovation), EIT, and national funding bodies;
– Responding to EU strategic goals, as outlined in the European Commission’s Startup and Scaleup Strategy, including the drive to transform Europe into a startup powerhouse, promote open strategic autonomy, and ensure research security;
– Supporting mission-driven innovation and spin-outs aligned with EU policy priorities in areas such as the green and digital transitions, resilience, and health.
By bringing together policymakers, funding agencies, research institutions, and entrepreneurs, the conference will work toward coordinated, actionable strategies to strengthen spin-out pipelines and enhance Europe’s deep tech competitiveness.
Conference Prize for the Best Innovation in 2025
The 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 organisations. 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.
