Increasing interest in Open Innovation in Science
Since 2016, Aarhus University has been working with Open Innovation in Science (OIS) as a new approach to fostering collaboration between researchers and businesses through open, patent-free and needs-driven research collaborations.
Among other things, OIS encourages researchers and businesses to work together even more closely to promote crosssectoral collaboration and accelerate discoveries. Marie Louise Conradsen, head of the AU Centre for Open Innovation in Science, is noticing a growing interest in OIS, and the centre has been successful in securing funding for several OIS projects. “From private foundations to the EU, we are seeing great interest in OIS, so it is also an important aspect for researchers to consider in connection with external funding,” says Marie Louise Conradsen.
This is supported by an evaluation of OIS by CFA (Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy). Among other things, the report concludes: This exploratory study finds that Open Innovation in Science (OIS) models may offer a promising pathway to deepen and diversify collaboration between European Research Infrastructures (RIs) and industry.
ISO certification opens doors
Marie Louise Conradsen and the steering committee for AU OIS have always had the ambition to spread the word about OIS and the centre's concept. Therefore, they decided that a stamp of approval in terms of quality was crucial if the OIS concept was to be rolled out – especially in the EU. For this reason, they sought ISO certification of the centre's processes regarding OIS collaborations and platforms. “Obtaining this internationally recognised certification has proven to be a good investment. It means that we are being heard and helps define a kind of standard for OIS operation, which may be used in FP10. The certification has definitely opened doors. It was a lot of work, but it has legitimised us as a participant – especially in the EU,” says Marie Louise Conradsen.
She regularly visits Brussels to raise awareness of OIS. The overarching goal is to get right into the engine room and help influence future calls. However, this requires a demonstrated ability to collaborate and participate in existing calls.
“We are what is called an intermediary organisation, that supports specific forms of value creation from university knowledge. So we have to demonstrate the role we can play in EU calls, and that we are able to participate at this level. This means that we must participate in applications, so we are currently involved in several WIDERA calls. In these projects, we can contribute with advice and training in OIS and the development of best practices for open, pre-competitive collaborations. We are constantly focused on seeing if we can build multi-faceted and sustainable financing models for our work – and get others interested in what we do,” says Marie Louise Conradsen.
About OIS
OIS is a collaborative model for research cooperation between industry and university researchers, conducted entirely without IP and where results are shared openly. These cooperations are created through structured idea generation and matchmaking, so that needs and skills find each other under the right conditions. At AU, OIS currently operates three platforms within different subject areas, where the best projects are selected and funded through a peer-reviewed application process.
ODIN was the first project to be realised with support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. It started as a pilot project, but was extended in 2024 with a new grant due to good results. The other major universities got involved as well, and the Lundbeck Foundation became part of the project when they saw an opportunity to link neuroscience to the platform – so they also invested money in the platform. The next project was the Plant2Food platform, which works to support the transition to more sustainable and plantbased production and diets.
Read more here.