The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, along with the National Research, Development, and Innovation Office, in collaboration with the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, organized a technology transfer seminar for universities and research institutes in the Visegrád countries. The multi-day, English-language, interactive event involved seventeen Hungarian university innovation professionals, as well as four Czech and three Slovak participants. The speaker was Dr. Amiram Porath, the former head of the Israeli National Academy R&D programs and currently a business development consultant at the technology transfer office of Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva.

The event was opened by Tibor Gulyás, the Deputy State Secretary responsible for innovation at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, followed by Dr. Ákos Jerzsele, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation, who welcomed the participants. The first lectures focused on exploring innovation opportunities and available technology within the university campus, as well as mindset shaping. This was followed by lighter topics such as patenting, cost planning, and legal and contractual issues. In the afternoon, the participants learned about marketing solutions for establishing and maintaining external industrial and business relationships, concluding the first phase of the seminar with an introduction to forms of research and development collaboration.

At the end of the day, most of the participants took the opportunity to network and engage in informal conversations with colleagues and the speaker at the EQUUS Club of the University.

The second day of the seminar began with an exploration of various business models for technology transfer, with the choice of solutions primarily influenced by the level of technological maturity and the relevant industry. Following this, the guests learned about the conditions and tasks necessary for operating spin-off ventures established with university participation. After lunch, Dr. Porath presented principles and solutions for effective university innovation management, which closely relate to the proper design of processes, the development of easily manageable document templates, and, not least, a prepared and “customer-friendly” staff.

The third and final day focused primarily on research and development services provided by the university, particularly for industrial players, and other income-generating opportunities related to innovation. Dr. Porath concluded the event by summarizing the key knowledge shared throughout the three days.

The participants expressed satisfaction with both the content and organization of the seminar. Many expressed their hope for future meetings to further develop their knowledge in technology transfer together.