Agreements

When a laboratory collaborates with a company, it is necessary to have the appropriate agreement in place and to know the principles governing the intellectual property of EPFL.

Different types of agreements are available to establish collaborations with industry.

Type: Research project executed by the laboratory with budget and timelines

IP conditions: Priority right to file patent applications for Company with exclusive right in a field of use. Company has a non-exclusive license on the software

Publications: Right to publish within reasonable deadlines

Budget: All the direct laboratory costs (salaries, consumables, travel, etc.) + 40% overhead

Documents:

Type: Innosuisse innovation project executed by the laboratory and a company

IP conditions: Priority right to file patent applications for company with exclusive right in a field of use. company has a non-exclusive license on the software

Publications: Right to publish within reasonable deadlines

Budget: According to Innosuisse project application

Documents:

Type: Research project executed by the laboratory with budget and timelines

IP conditions: EPFL remains the owner of the IPR. Option for company to negotiate a license on an invention or software

Publications: Right to publish with a deadline to protect the IPR

Budget: All the direct laboratory costs (salaries, consumables, travel, etc..) + 20% overhead

Documents:

Type: Research project executed by the laboratory with budget and timelines

IP conditions: EPFL will release to the public domain without restrictions all results, through scientific publications, conferences proceedings, reports, open-source software. Neither EPFL nor the company will file patents on EPFL results

Publications: Right to timely publish with a deadline

Budget: Direct laboratory costs (salaries, consumables, travel, etc..) + 20% overhead

Documents:

Type: Performance of a service (measurement, test, etc.) not involving research

IP conditions: Company owns the data obtained by EPFL. Methods and tools remains at EPFL

Publications:  No publication right without company approval

Budget:  All the direct laboratory costs (salaries, consumables, travel, etc.) + 60% overhead

Documents:

Type: Voluntary gift from a company to a researcher or a lab

IP conditions: EPFL remains the owner of the IPR. No benefit for the company, except acknowledgment of the funding

Publications: Right to publish without restriction

Budget: 0% overhead

Documents: 

EPFL directive

The EPFL Directive on research contracts and technology transfer (LEX 3.4.1) defines the rules and responsibility applicable to the research agreements. Do not hesitate to contact TTO as soon as possible to prepare the appropriate agreement or if you have any specific question about collaboration agreements.

Dual use technologies

For research agreement potentially involving dual use technologies (civil and military) please Click here

Read the FAQ answers

Contact

Technology Transfer Office

EPFL Innovation Park J
CH-1015 Lausanne
Switzerland


Mail:     [email protected]

Phone: +41 21 693 70 23


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