"I'm not convinced that [university] researchers can become entrepreneurs." COTEC general director Daniel Bessa was on Friday in the cycle of conferences «Inovar Algarve», at the University of Algarve and was not afraid of being controversial.
Technology Transfer was the topic in question, a process that, considered by the university professor, is still very incipient in our country.
Daniel Bessa's “provocation” was made at the session of the Center for Marine Sciences at «Inovar Algarve». In attendance were many researchers, the same ones that the COTEC director does not believe can become, at least, successful entrepreneurs.
Using the metaphor of “Death Valley”, to symbolize the gap that exists between companies and universities, Daniel Bessa said he believes that he does not “win like this”, that is, with the transformation of scientists into entrepreneurs.
In other words, researchers must dedicate themselves to what they do best and leave the job of commercializing the knowledge they produce to those with an entrepreneurial streak. "I believe much more in the transfer of technology, in narrowing Death Valley until the two parties finally touch each other," he said.
Recalling that the idea of putting technology and knowledge developed in universities at the service of companies is more than 40 years old in Portugal, Daniel Bessa considered that, in this period, little progress was made.
In order for there to be a fluid transfer of technology from universities to companies, “structures must be created for this”, something that can even be done within the research centers themselves, with the inclusion of people focused on the business area in their staff.
These types of structures are not, even so, non-existent in Portugal. Before Daniel Bessa, the president of INESC Porto José Manuel Mendonça had already given his testimony. This institute has been dedicated for more than 20 years to linking the research sector and companies, working at different levels.
Its performance, in connection with several public universities, has already allowed the creation of technology-based companies and fueling others with innovations in the field of engineering. The companies Efacec and EDP are just two examples of those that have already benefited from the technology developed by the institute itself or centers associated with the University of Porto and other entities.
UAlg praised for 'courage' in showing technology transfer numbers
One of the fundamental steps, in order to speed up the transfer of technology, is to get universities and research centers to publicize what they do.
“There is no transfer of technology if we do not create an information system around this theme. We have to reach a high degree of reporting», defended Daniel Bessa.
With this objective in mind, COTEC challenged the country's academies to disclose data on their work in the field of knowledge production and transfer, namely «the number of patents applied for, which companies were created, what their turnover is and how many jobs created'. The challenge took the form of a prize for the most outstanding.
«The University of Algarve was probably the biggest surprise. The numbers are modest, but there was the courage and the truth to show them», said Daniel Bessa.
The surprise comes not only from the fact that UAlg has agreed to show its numbers, something that not all universities have done, but also because of the dynamism that is being created in the South.
"I never thought that this ecosystem was creating so many technology-based companies", he confessed.
Photos of: Carlos Filipe de Souza/Sul Informação
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