News

The National Network of Technology Transfer Offices - ΜΕΤΕΧ (https://metex.gr/) held its 1st Annual Conference on December 6–7, 2024, in Heraklion, Crete. The conference was co-organized by the University of Crete and the Region of Crete, which also supported the event.

 

ΜΕΤΕΧ, of which the Athena Research Center is a member, was established to facilitate collaboration in addressing issues related to the transfer of technology and expertise generated at the country’s Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers. 

 

The goal of the conference was to enable technology transfer professionals from Greece and abroad to exchange experiences and insights on issues faced by Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs). Key topics included strategies for protecting and leveraging intellectual property rights, the operation of business acceleration structures, skill development for TTO personnel, and funding sources for innovation products.

 

Athena was represented by Tasos Patrikakos, a member of its Technology Transfer Office, who participated in the panel of the fifth session, focusing on "Research Exploitation through Spin-offs and Licensing." Drawing from examples of Athena’s activities, Mr. Patrikakos emphasized the key challenges affecting both the establishment and operation of entrepreneurial ventures and the offering of research output licenses to the market.

 

The conference fostered networking and collaboration among ΜΕΤΕΧ TTO professionals. Since many TTO members are relatively new with limited experience in technology transfer, networking with more experienced professionals facilitates their work and provides valuable answers to their questions.

 

The 2nd ΜΕΤΕΧ Conference is scheduled to take place in November 2025 in Thessaloniki.