Management of Innovation and Technology Transfer (MINTT) Course 20th

The Management of Innovation and Technology Transfer (MINTT) course was created in 2004 by EPFL's Technology Transfer Office (TTO) team with the aim of providing EPFL’s researchers the knowledge and skills needed to transfer their research results into real-world innovations. The MINTT course has since become a unique and invaluable training opportunity in EPFL’s academic landscape combining theory with real-world examples.

The MINTT course includes multiple modules, each covering a different stage of the innovation and commercialisation journey. These modules are complemented by hands-on workshops as well as the analysis of case studies through assigned work. This structure provides students the opportunity to gain theoretical knowledge as well as practical skills.

The theoretical modules allows students to grasp the basics of intellectual property and technology commercialisation. For example, to understand the difference between an invention and discovery and what being an inventor means. The students learn the steps from ideation to invention and how to choose the right strategies for protecting their inventions. The students also get to hear from seasoned professionals sharing their experience from research and entrepreneurship. Another important module at the heart of technology transfer is the licensing of technology. This module employs case studies and examples to teach the key elements of a licensing agreement, giving students a solid understanding of licensing contracts and equipping them with the foundational knowledge needed for future licensing negotiations.

The workshops on the other hand allow the students to try out what they've learned in a practical setting. The workshops cover a whole range of topics, from patenting and licensing to data management in life sciences and software commercialisation. By working through case studies, they get to grips with some of the issues they may face during the R&D phase. Invited intellectual property experts, dive into the ins and outs of patent matters. These sessions help students get a handle on patent prosecution, how to value patents, and why it's crucial to build a solid patent portfolio. Given the importance of software in both research and industry as an intellectual property asset, the MINTT also includes a workshop on software licensing. There are also workshops on leadership and communication – two important soft skills that are often neglected in traditional technical education. The students learn how to promote themselves and their ideas, inspire others, build trust and give effective presentations.

The MINTT course was initially designed for PhD students of EPFL and since 2010 the MINTT course is offered as part of the transversal skills courses in EPFL's doctoral programmes. The course has progressively opened-up to selected non-student auditors internal or external to EPFL so that since its inception over 600 students and 200 auditors taken part in MINTT impacting many researchers academic and entrepreneurial journeys.

An invaluable part of the teaching of the MINTT course are the case studies. Over the years the MINTT students had the opportunity to work on 140 startup case studies, some of which have been analysed multiple times. The startup case studies are mainly spin-offs from EPFL allowing the students to analyse all stages of the technology transfer process with the advantage of having the opportunity to interview the founders of the startups

The MINTT course includes several chapters on the technology transfer through startups, which appeals to a large number of the students attending the MINTT course that have in mind the launch of their own ventures. Each year, the proportion of entrepreneurial minded students ranges between 50% and 70% of the students.

Among the MINTT alumni that have become successful entrepreneurs, Romain Rossier, CEO of Innoview said "I'd definitely recommend the MINTT course to anyone interested in entrepreneurship. This course prepared me for my future entrepreneur carrier, especially with a case study of a startup company from the origin of an idea to the company creation. Moreover, understanding the challenges of IP protection, IP licensing and contracts are key points for the success of startup company. It was also a good starting point for negotiating IP licensing agreements with EPFL. I co-founded my company Innoview in 2016 with an hon. prof. of EPFL. Our startup company Innoview values many document security technologies protected by US patents/PCT extensions and we successfully pushed these technologies worldwide into different products".

On the same line Guillaume Petit-Pierre, CEO and Co-Founder of Artiria Medical, emphasised how in-depth the programme was: "MINTT was not just a crash course in navigating the IP jungle, but also a true inspiration for entrepreneurship and innovation! Highly recommended!"

Agreeing, Orly Tarun, CEO of Oryl Photonics, added: “I would recommend the MINTT course to anyone who is interested in venturing to entrepreneurship. MINTT has provided me with a different view of how to look, evaluate and manage technological innovations as well as providing guidance and awareness of what to look out for when establishing a technology company. Most importantly, the course is engaging and fun, with open minded and enthusiastic instructors and course participants!”

Over its 20-year history, the MINTT course at EPFL has taught students about technology transfer and provides them with the transversal skill sets that extend beyond their academic career. Furthermore, the MINTT course offers aspiring next generation of entrepreneurs invaluable knowledge and experience on how to turn scientific breakthroughs into market-ready innovations. By doing so, the MINTT course plays a key role in transferring EPFL technologies to the market, preparing researchers and the next generation of entrepreneurs with the necessary understanding to achieve their goals.