| German Patent Agencies |
| Ascenion GmbH assists public research institutions from the field of life sciences in the management of their intellectual property rights. Commercially interesting inventions, materials and know-how are protected by patents. Ascenion negotiates licensing and cooperation contracts with appropriate industrial partners and supports company founders. |
| EMBL European Molecular Biology Laboratory conducts basic research in molecular biology. It is financed by public funds from 20 different countries. EMBL trains scientists, students and visiting scientists at all levels, develops new instruments and methods in life sciences and cites technology transfer as its mission. |
| Max-Planck-Innovation is responsible for technology transfer among the different institutes of the Max Planck Society. It supports the institutes' scientists in filing patents, mediates the transfer of their inventions to industry and provides consulting services for start-ups. |
| TechnologieAllianz (Technology Alliance) is a nationwide network of 200 patent marketing agencies and technology transfer agencies. Members of TechnologieAllianz provide mutual support in the transfer of - generally patented - technologies from science to the marketplace. |
| Steinbeis-Stiftung für Wirtschaftsförderung (StW) (Steinbeis Foundation for Economic Development) promotes cooperation between scientific institutions and industry within its network of over 800 transfer companies. By this means the Steinbeis network harnesses research results and converts them into marketable products. |
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| Technology Transfer Organisations |
| Deutscher Verband für Technologietransfer und Innovation e. V. (DTI) (German Association for Technology Transfer and Innovation) was formed in 2009 by the amalgamation of Verband der Innovations- und Technologieberatungs-Organisationen Deutschlands e. V. (VITO) and INSTI Innovation e. V. (INeV). DTI supports innovative SMEs and research institutions in implementing individual, cooperative and network projects from ideas generation through to patentability and market launch. |
| ProTon Europe is the non-profit European Knowledge Transfer Association of European universities, created in 2003 by the European Commission. The aim of ProTon Europe is to stimulate cooperation between companies and universities. |
| Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) is a global network comprising over 350 universities, research institutions, university clinics, government agencies and companies engaged in the administration and licensing of innovations from science and non-profit research. AUTM promotes academic technology transfer. |
| Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) is an association of 32 national and regional societies interested in the transfer of technology or the licensing of intellectual property rights - from technical know-how and patented inventions to software, copyright and trade marks. |
| Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals (ASTP) promotes professional advancement and supports technology and knowledge transfer between science and industry in Europe. Conferences, seminars and courses are organized on a regular basis for the exchange of ideas and know-how and to strengthen the network of its members. ASTP has more than 600 members from 38 different countries. |
| Association for University Research and Industry Links (AURIL), the largest association for knowledge transfer in Europe, represents over 1,600 members in the UK and Ireland, dedicated to transferring new ideas, technologies and innovations to the marketplace. |
| European Association of Research Managers & Administrators (EARMA) - EARMA's mission is to improve the quality and professionalism of research management and administration throughout Europe. By this means EARMA aims to increase the efficiency of public-funded research. |
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| Patent Offices |
Deutsche Patent- und Markenamt (DPMA) (German Patent and Trade Mark Office) grants and administers protection for technical and commercial innovations and publicizes them. DPMA provides public access to information on property rights effective in Germany by means of its publications and search services on its website.
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| Europäische Patentamt (EPA) (European Patent Office) offers individual inventors and companies seeking patent protection a uniform application procedure for up to 40 European countries. Its remit extends to the provision of patent-related news and information. |
| World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is an agency of the United Nations, dedicated to the development of an international intellectual property system that rewards creativity, promotes innovation and contributes to economic development. |
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| Patent Databases |
| esp@cenet® is the search machine of the European Patent Office providing access not only to European and Japanese patent databases, but also to data collections worldwide with 60 million patent documents. |
| Europäische Publikationsserver (European Publication Server) is the official source of European patent documents. Patent applications received (A documents) and patents granted (B documents) are publicized. |
| DEPATISnet is the patent information system of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA). It permits online searches for patent publications from all over the world that are contained in its internal data collection. |
| DPINFO enables searches to be made in various data collections of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA). It is possible to access the Patent and Utility Model Register (including patents of the former GDR), national trade marks and industrial designs. |
| DPMApublikation is the official publication and information platform of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA). Here, the Office publishes documents pertaining to pending proceedings, required by law, concerning utility models, trade marks and industrial designs. |
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On the VBU website, VBU members can report on cutting-edge, innovative technologies in other sections of the journal after consultation with the publisher.