Logitech EPFL Incubator: A great model to commercialize scientific knowledge and technologies

I just got back from a meeting with Pascal Reichenberger who is running the Logitech EPFL Incubator on the campus of EPFL. In collaboration with EPFL, Logitech has implemented an organization that aims to identify and develop novel ideas/prototypes for Logitech. Since Logitech is more focused on turning great prototypes and related business models into practice, this incubator aims to spot new technologies that could turn into great products one day.

I think this a great set-up for EPFL scientists as well as for Logitech because both parties can play to their strengths while benefiting from each other.

• EPFL scientists are incentivised because their research might become funded and their results can turn into great products or applications.
• For Logitech, the incubator serves as a creative platform to think about and create prototypes that that could be commercialized with in Logitech’s powerful infrastructure.

Such industry-academia collaboration might become a future model for “technology commercialization” within a university setting. We’ll see how it evolves.

~ by Thomas Langenberg on October 26, 2007.