This policy is based on Art. 2 para. 4 of the University Statute and the “Regulations governing secondary employment, agreements with third parties and the use of intellectual property in the context of work at the university”. It outlines the framework conditions for knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) and the foundation of enterprises at the University of Basel. It is supplemented by further documents (guidelines, commented term sheets, factsheets) that establish the associated procedures and conditions in detail. This policy is intended primarily for informational purposes and may not be used as a basis for legal claims.

Preamble

In addition to its core teaching and research tasks, the University of Basel wants to support the transfer of research findings, technology and knowledge as its “third mission”. Transfer is achieved either by collaboration with public and private partner institutions, usually private enterprise companies, through the licensing of technology developed at the University of Basel, or through the spin-off of a company (start-up) with or without licensing of a technology.

The President's Office launched an innovation initiative in 2017 to consolidate and develop activities in this area. The goal is always to make an “impact on society” by supporting innovative ideas from the University of Basel's researchers. The university sees itself as an important actor in the regional innovation ecosystem: by supporting knowledge and technology transfer and in particular by founding start-ups, it creates high-skilled jobs and makes an important contribution to the scientific power and dynamism of the Basel region.

You can find the full start-up policy by downloading the document on this page. The full policy highlights the following topics:

1. Definitions
2. Guiding principles
3. Support options for collaboration
4. Support options for start-ups
5. Patent process and conditions
6. Licensing process and conditions
7. Use of infrastructure by start-ups
8. Dealing with potential confilcts of interest

Fact Sheet on Equity and Royalties for Start-Up Licensing

The University of Basel supports and encourages the foundation of knowledge-based start-ups with various offers (e.g. courses, infrastructure, grants, mentoring). In return, the University of Basel is compensated by the start-up for the granting of a license.
The fact sheet transparently defines such compensation, which is usually a combination of equity and royalties, in accordance with standard market rates.