ScienceValue Heidelberg will handle tech transfer on behalf of the medicine faculty, after the contract with Heidelberg University Hospital-controlled TTH broke down.
Heidelberg University has established a wholly-owned tech transfer office called ScienceValue Heidelberg to handle, initially, the commercialisation of research at its Faculty of Medicine, Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung reported today.
Technology Transfer Heidelberg (TTH), a tech transfer company majority-owned by Heidelberg University Hospital, was responsible for the duties but has had its contract pulled following misleading blood test results at its cancer diagnostics spinout Heiscreen.
The saga ostensibly led Heidelberg University to lose faith in TTH’s abilities and made the decision to form a wholly-owned unit in ScienceValue Heidelberg, whereas the university hospital held 90% of TTH’s share capital.
ScienceValue Heidelberg will initially focus solely on the Faculty of Medicine but will expand starting with other life sciences assets and later concepts from a wider variety of university departments.
The scandal looks to have stung Heidelberg at a time when it is keen to stress expanded knowledge and tech transfer as a key part of its Excellence Strategy, a strategic program unveiled in 2018.
While TTH employees will be given the chance to transfer with the transition, Heidelberg has flatly rejected a similar offer for the old TTO’s managing directors – Volker Cleeves and Jörg Rauch.
Matthias Weidemüller, the faculty physicist appointed vice-rector for innovation and transfer at Heidelberg University under the excellence roadmap, will gain additional knowledge transfer and collaboration duties with the cessation of TTH’s contract.
