Technology Transfer: From Research to Real-World Impact
At its heart, technology transfer means turning research results into real-world applications, in particular through patents, collaborations, or even start-ups. “Technology transfer is present at all levels of the university,” says Christine Oesterhelt from the TU Berlin’s technology transfer team. For postdocs, it is more than just paperwork: It can open career doors and prevent valuable findings from vanishing into academic journals. “Many findings are sent straight to journals, even though they could have been patented. But once they are published, the opportunity to protect them is gone,” she says.
To prevent this, each BUA institution has specialized IP and technology transfer teams. Together with researchers, they determine whether a patent makes sense, who holds the rights, and what the next steps are. “Our principle is: priority for founders. Before we proceed, we first ask whether a patent is worthwhile and whether researchers want to use it themselves,” Oesterhelt says. Legal frameworks such as the German Employee Inventions Act ensure inventions are properly reported and can create value.
Training opportunities are another key element. “We run the Transfer School, which is open to all BUA members,” Oesterhelt says. Its core modules cover intellectual property, patents, and entrepreneurship. “These offers can broaden your career options far beyond the academic path.”
For postdocs, engaging in technology transfer can be a decisive career asset. “If you have already developed something in a third-party project, worked with industry partners, or gone through a transfer process, it makes you much more attractive to future employers,” Oesterhelt says. Such experience shows that you can bridge research and application, which is a skill that is highly valued both inside and outside academia.
Support also goes beyond patents: Transfer teams connect postdocs with industry partners, assist with third-party funding, and help navigate fields from AI and quantum computing to health and construction. “We see ourselves as facilitators,” says Oesterhelt. She encourages Postdocs to build networks early, look beyond their research bubble, and learn how transfer works. “Not everyone will become a professor, but even if you do, you will work with students and projects that involve technology transfer. Knowing the steps is essential.”