Summary
Column published in La Libre Entreprise when the author was an IP lawyer at the technology transfer office of the University of Namur (FUNDP). Universities long followed the Open Science model, where fast publication often made it impossible to protect research results. Since the 1990s they have set up teams to protect inventions before disclosure, which lets them hold patents and build partnerships with industry. The column describes the benefits for teaching, research and service to society, the spin-offs created at FUNDP, and the support offered by the European Union and the Walloon Region, including the First programmes and a patent fund, as well as the LIEU and ProTon Europe networks.
Reference
H. Haouideg, « Des mondes se rapprochent », La Libre Entreprise, 2004, p. 10.