Innovation at the LCSB
The LCSB Innovation and Partnering team is dedicated to
- supporting LCSB researchers in setting up collaborations with public and private partners,
- identifying and protecting new inventions,
- helping researchers develop their innovative projects,
- attract innovation-focused funding, and
- supporting the creation of spin-off companies.
The LCSB Innovation and Partnering team liaises with the UL central Partnering and Knowledge and Technology Transfer office (PaKTTo) of the vice rector for partnerships and international relations for the preparation and filing of patent applications and negotiation and conclusion of licenses for LCSB intellectual property.
The Team
Innovation and Partnering team at the LCSB, Dr. Clemens Ostrowicz, Dr. Silvia Colucci, and Dr. Léa Delacour ©Silicon Luxembourg / Stephanie Jabardo
The team is dedicated to nurturing the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit within the centre by supporting LCSB researchers through various phases of innovation and technology transfer.
- Dr. Clemens Ostrowicz, team leader. Focusing on coordinating the team activities and its strategic development. Supporting the IP protection process, negotiating IP terms and coordinating the relevant legal processes.
- Dr. Silvia Colucci, business development expert. Focusing on internal development of innovative projects and technologies, business planning and start-up creation. Currently managing the Luxembourg Bioincubator.
- Dr. Léa Delacour, industry partnering expert. Focusing on the identification of industrial partners and clients, scouting for partnering-ready technologies and IP, market intelligence and IP development strategy.
- Dr. Esma Yagdi, IP scouting. Focusing on liaison with researchers, following LCSB’s research developments and IP awareness raising.
- Romain Gérard, legal advisor. Focusing on public-public partnerships and consortia, GDPR-related contracts, donations and VAT law.
- Aurore Harand, legal advisor. Focusing on public-private partnerships, IP law, and state-aid considerations.
Activities and Services
Industry Partnering Day
Innovation and partnerships are a central to our strategy of positioning the LCSB as a key player in the research and innovation landscape. The event presents the high-impact activities of the LCSB to relevant stakeholders, attracts industry partners for collaboration and explores additional research funding opportunities through industry partnerships.
The annual Industry Partnering Day is the perfect opportunity for new partners to discover our research activities, discuss potential future projects, and to strengthen existing partnerships through networking and exchange.
Industry Partnering Day 2023
Bioincubator
Supported by the Ministry of the Economy and the FNR, the Bioincubator is a collaborative project between the LCSB, the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and Technoport, the leading technology incubator in Luxembourg. Located in the House of BioHealth in Esch-sur-Alzette, the Bioincubator is part of the larger HE:AL campus currently under construction. It is strategically located near the future Südspidol hospital campus, the University of Luxembourg and other major national research institutions, providing an ideal environment for HealthTech companies. The unique facility not only offers flexible wet lab and office space on over 300 m2 but also provides essential business support services to early-stage companies. The Bioincubator provides to the LCSB an excellent network of companies for future public private collaboration. Dr. Silvia Colucci is managing the Bioincubator and has been instrumental in acquiring its first tenants.
Partnering and Collaboration Support
The team is supporting LCSB researchers and external partners in setting up collaborations and partnerships including all relevant legal documentation. The nature of financial contributions and the corresponding IP terms are tailored based legal requirements and on the interests of both the LCSB and the industry partners. In order to facilitate future collaboration, IP protection and valorisation, the LCSB usually works with IP term sheets agreed between the parties before starting activities, which form the basis of a more sophisticated legal framework like a collaboration agreement once the necessary funding is available and the interaction has proven stable and mutually beneficial. The two legal advisors, who are part of the LCSB Innovation and Partnering team, help drafting and give expert advice on the negotiation and conclusion of these legal frameworks. Their immediate accessibility and understanding of both LCSB’s and commercial partners’ needs have proven pivotal in moving efficiently and fast in order not to hamper project implementation through lengthy administrative procedures.
Innovation Funding
The LCSB innovation and partnering team is committed to assisting LCSB researchers and their partners throughout the process of applying for and completing funding programs that support innovative projects. The National Research Fund (FNR) provides various innovation and PPP funding opportunities. These include:
- Bridges Program: Facilitates collaboration and knowledge transfer between academia and industry.
- Industrial Fellowships: Supports joint research projects with industry partners.
- Jump Program: Encourages innovative projects with commercial potential.
The team keeps LCSB researchers well-informed about these and other innovation funding programs and their opportunities, guiding them from project identification through the application process, panel reviews, and project execution, ensuring high standards throughout.
Interested partners can explore these funding opportunities by visiting the FNR website for more information on guidelines, application procedures, and eligibility criteria.
Partnerships
At the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), we have established strong collaborations that extend across academia, industry, and government agencies.
Research Luxembourg
Research Luxembourg is a joint initiative of the main actors in Luxembourg public research, with the support of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. The LCSB is part of this network and actively engages in supporting its efforts in boosting the visibility of excellent research in Luxembourg and partnering opportunities. Research Luxembourg is hosting a national hub for technology and innovation offerings through a dedicated In-Part web portal.
HIHR
Through its pipeline of innovative projects and spin-offs, the LCSB has been nominating candidates for the Healthy Ideas, Healthy Returns (HIHR) initiative, which is managed by public research organizations and venture capital representatives. HIHR aims to connect promising startups and innovative projects with investors and company representatives to encourage collaborations and investments in the BeNeLux region. For the past years, Dr. Ostrowicz has been chairman of the HIHR core group, contributing to the initiative’s strategic direction and event organization. Dr. Ostrowicz is actively involved in coaching innovation projects and university-related spin-outs for investor pitching as part of the HIHR framework.
Success Stories
Since its establishment in 2009, the LCSB has become internationally recognised and a sought-after collaborator in both academic and industrial circles. This success is largely due to the recruitment of top-tier principal investigators, active collaboration with renowned international research institutes, such as the RIKEN Institute, Harvard University, and Cambridge University, and a robust cross-disciplinary approach to research. From its inception, the LCSB has secured 100 million EUR in competitive funding from various public and private sources. The centre has actively engaged in knowledge transfer on multiple levels, from sponsored research projects involving shared IP to the out-licensing of LCSB IP, which includes both know-how and patents. Several spin-off companies, such as Nium SA, ITTM SA, and OrganoTherapeutics Sarl, have emerged and prospered through these knowledge transfer efforts.
The Elevator is video series that captures the essence of Luxembourg’s vibrant startup ecosystem through the lens of elevator pitches. This video series unfolds in a real elevator situated in Luxembourg City, offering a breathtaking view of the cityscape. This video series is produced by Silicon Luxembourg, in partnership with RTL Today – broadcasted on RTL Play – and sponsored by Orange Luxembourg and Research Luxembourg.
OrganoTherapeutics: Therapies against neurodegeneration
Dr. Isabel Rosety, lead project scientist of OrganoTherapeutics, talks about the development of 3D cell culture models for in vitro disease modelling.
ITTM: Secure and scalable clinical and health data as a service
Andreas Kremer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of IT for Translational Medicine (ITTM), shares how this innovative spin-off from the University of Luxembourg enhances the quality and accessibility of health data.
