📊 ASTP European KT Survey
Association for Science & Technology ParksThe ASTP (formerly ASTP-Proton) conducts the most comprehensive European knowledge transfer survey, modeled after AUTM methodology for cross-Atlantic comparability.
| Survey Year | Responding KTOs | Countries | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | 674 | 21 | Comprehensive baseline |
| FY2022 | 482 | 23 | Expanded country coverage |
📈 Coverage: ASTP's Network of National Associations of Commercialisation Professionals (NAAC) includes 35 national associations from 28 European countries, providing the most comprehensive view of European knowledge transfer activity.
~7,000
Academic Patent Apps/Year
10%
Share of EPC Filings
1,200+
Universities Filing (EPO)
63,000
PRO Patents (2000-2022)
🔬 Fraunhofer ISI Research: New academic patent identification methodology reveals 50%+ more patent applications attributable to European universities than previously captured through direct filing analysis. University-affiliated inventors contribute significantly more to innovation than institutional filings alone suggest.
🇬🇧
United Kingdom
HE-BCI 2024165+
HEIs Reporting
£215M
HEIF 2024-25
1999
Survey Since
- HE-BCI Survey: Statutory annual return (most comprehensive)
- Research England administers HEIF funding
- Covers: IP, consultancy, research contracts, CPD
- Example: Bournemouth £549K HEIF (2024-25)
- PraxisAuril: KT professional network
🇩🇪
Germany
DPMA/Fraunhofer 2024133K+
Patent Apps
507
FhG Inventions
21
FhG Spin-offs
- Fraunhofer 2024: 439 priority patents, 7,081 active families
- Transfer Allianz e.V.: University TTO network
- Four research associations: FhG, Helmholtz, Max Planck, Leibniz
- €641M from industry projects (FhG)
- Professor's privilege abolished 2002 → university ownership
🇫🇷
France
Réseau C.U.R.I.E.14
SATTs
140+
Network Members
2012
SATTs Created
- Réseau C.U.R.I.E.: French TTO network (1991)
- SATTs: Regional tech transfer accelerators
- €856M invested in SATTs (Investissements d'Avenir)
- CNRS: National research center partnerships
- Strong pharma/biotech commercialization focus
🇨🇭
Switzerland
swiTT40+
Members
ETH
Top Institution
High
Spin-off Rate
- swiTT: Swiss tech transfer association
- ETH Zürich: Leading European spin-off creator
- Strong pharma cluster (Basel)
- High industry-academia collaboration rate
- Innosuisse: Federal innovation agency
🇮🇪
Ireland
KTI9
Universities
Central
Metrics System
SME
Focus
- KTI: Knowledge Transfer Ireland (centralized)
- Annual KT review with consistent metrics
- Strong SME engagement focus
- Enterprise Ireland: Commercialization funding
- Technology gateway network for regional access
🇳🇱
Netherlands
TO2 Federation14
Research Unis
TO2
Applied Research
TNO
Largest PRO
- TO2 Federation: Applied research orgs
- TNO: Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research
- Strong agri-food tech transfer
- Eindhoven high-tech campus model
- Universities of Applied Sciences network
🏔️ Nordic Countries
Strong public-private collaboration models
🌟 Nordic Model: Characterized by high R&D investment, strong university autonomy, and deep industry-academia partnerships. Focus on sustainability, cleantech, and digital innovation.
🇸🇪
Sweden
RISE/Vinnova3.4%
R&D/GDP
Teacher
IP Exception
RISE
Research Inst
- Teacher's Exception: Researchers own their IP (unique)
- Vinnova: Innovation agency
- RISE: Research Institutes of Sweden
- Strong in cleantech, life sciences, ICT
- University holding companies for commercialization
🇩🇰
Denmark
Universities Denmark8
Universities
3%
R&D/GDP
2000
IP Law Reform
- Universities Denmark: Umbrella organization
- 2000 IP law: University ownership model
- Strong pharma/biotech sector (Novo Nordisk)
- Innovation Fund Denmark: Commercialization
- Copenhagen Science City cluster
🇫🇮
Finland
Business Finland2.9%
R&D/GDP
13
Universities
High
Innovation Rank
- Business Finland: Innovation funding agency
- Strong in ICT, cleantech, health tech
- VTT Technical Research Centre
- Aalto University entrepreneurship focus
- Slush: Major startup event
🇳🇴
Norway
Research Council2.3%
R&D/GDP
TTOs
University Owned
Oil→Green
Transition
- Research Council of Norway: Main funder
- Energy sector technology transfer
- SINTEF: Largest independent research org
- Strong maritime and aquaculture IP
- Green transition driving innovation
🇪🇸
Spain
RedOTRI70+
OTRI Offices
Annual
Survey
CSIC
Research Council
- RedOTRI: Network of university TTOs
- Conducts annual tech transfer surveys
- CSIC: Spanish National Research Council
- Strong biotech and renewable energy focus
- Barcelona and Madrid innovation hubs
🇮🇹
Italy
Netval70+
Members
Annual
Survey
PROs
+ Hospitals
- Netval: Network for tech transfer (2002)
- Includes PROs and research hospitals
- Growing spin-off activity
- Strong in design, manufacturing tech
- CNR: National Research Council
🇵🇹
Portugal
FCT / UTENFCT
Science Agency
UTEN
Network
Growing
Startup Scene
- FCT: Foundation for Science & Technology
- UTEN: University Tech Enterprise Network
- Web Summit in Lisbon (startup ecosystem)
- Growing VC and startup activity
- Strong in ocean/maritime tech
🇬🇷
Greece
PRAXI NetworkPRAXI
TT Network
24
Universities
FORTH
Research Center
- PRAXI Network: Tech transfer support
- FORTH: Foundation for Research & Technology
- EIT hubs active in Greece
- Growing ICT sector
- EU funding for innovation infrastructure
🏛️ European TTO Networks
| Country | Network | Type | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌍 Pan-European | ASTP | Association | Annual survey, training, networking |
| 🇬🇧 UK | PraxisAuril | Professional body | Training, HE-BCI coordination |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Transfer Allianz e.V. | Network | Patent marketing agencies |
| 🇫🇷 France | Réseau C.U.R.I.E. | Network (1991) | 140+ members, training |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | RedOTRI | Network | University TTOs, annual survey |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Netval | Network (2002) | PROs + hospitals, annual survey |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | KTI | Government agency | Centralized metrics, SME focus |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | swiTT | Association | Training, networking |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | Universities Denmark | Umbrella org | Policy coordination |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | UTEN | Network | International partnerships |
📊 UK HE-BCI Survey Categories
The Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey is the most comprehensive national TTO data collection, covering:
📜
IP Commercialization
🤝
Consultancy
🔬
Research Contracts
📚
CPD Training
🎭
Cultural Activities
🌱
Regeneration
💡 Best Practice: HE-BCI data directly informs HEIF (Higher Education Innovation Fund) allocation, creating strong incentives for accurate reporting and continuous improvement in knowledge exchange activities.
Benchmark Your Institution
Compare your TTO metrics against European standards
📚 Data Sources
- ASTP European KT Survey
- HESA HE-BCI Survey (UK)
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Annual Report
- Fraunhofer ISI Academic Patents Research
- Transfer Allianz e.V. (Germany)
- Réseau C.U.R.I.E. (France)
- Netval (Italy)
- RedOTRI (Spain)
- Knowledge Transfer Ireland
- swiTT (Switzerland)
Data updated: January 2026