Cooperation between FORTH and SEV for the promotion of innovation

A Memorandum of Understanding focusing on the development of innovation was signed by the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) and the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

The aim is to deepen cooperation and systematically support the commercial and business exploitation of research results and scientific knowledge. Strengthening research and development partnerships for more innovation is a crucial dimension of the country’s development path.

The FORTH-SEV agreement consolidates the common will for increasingly substantial interconnection and cooperation between research centres, universities and businesses, following on from the previous initiatives of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises(SEV). The signing of the agreement took place at the headquarters of FORTH, in Heraklion, Crete, in the presence of the Secretary General for Research and Innovation, Professor Athanasios Kyriazis.

The Memorandum of Understanding shall include:

Promotion and support of the cooperation of FORTH researchers and businesses to enhance research and development and to promote the exploitation of research results and scientific know-how. The support will include opportunities for technology licensing, the establishment of spin-offs, as well as the ability to meet specific research and innovation needs of businesses.

SEV’s contribution to the work of the gnΩsi Technology Transfer Network – which is coordinated by the PRAXI Network, in order to accelerate the exploitation of intellectual property, and to develop more collaborations of the 10 Research and University bodies participating in the Network with businesses and industry.

Organization of bilateral or multilateral networking meetings to enhance research & development collaborations and / or utilization of research results and scientific know-how, which are produced at FORTH. The events may take the form of thematic workshops (Innovation Ready workshops of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises) or other properly prepared and personalized meetings between researchers and businesses.

Development of broader initiatives for the alignment of applied research with the needs of the market, such as the implementation of industrial doctorates or postdoctoral ones, (ii) the creation of broader relevant industrial research business programs, with the reception of Doctoral candidates and postdoctoral candidates in companies, and (iii) the possibility of participation of SEV members in “proof of concept” projects depending on the subject and interest.

Organization of communication actions to inform and provoke interest of the members of SEV, the members of the research community, as well as to the general public about the importance and results of technology transfer and the results of the actions of the memorandum.

Following the signing of the cooperation agreement, Efthymios O. Vidalis, President of the Executive Committee of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises(SEV), stated: “With the agreement between FORTH and SEV, the cooperation between businesses and researchers is strengthened through practical R&D synergies and the possibilities for the commercial exploitation of scientific knowledge are improved.This is a process with mutually positive results, which is also a crucial prerequisite for a strong innovation ecosystem that in turn is a pillar of a competitive economy with strong, extroverted, businesses of all sizes and with substantial utilization of our excellent research potential”.

“We are particularly happy, as the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is going to strengthen the channels of communication between the research and business ecosystem of Greece. It will also provide new momentum for the exploitation of the research results produced by FORTH in innovative products and services, bringing multiple benefits for society and the economy.