IP cluster continues the cycle of innovation
- publish258
- Jun 21, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 4
An IP cluster around TU Vienna has created three ventures in 3D printing and is ready to talk to more partners, reports an EPO case study
A cluster of 3D printing around the Technical University of Vienna is gaining scale through three ventures: a strategic partnership and two spin-outs. They all originate in a series of questions that Professor Jürgen Stampfl started asking in 3D printing’s early days as a technology in the 2000s. In particular, could its use be extended more creatively to other materials, notably ceramics and then industrial polymers?
First, he had to combine with colleagues in chemistry to develop the materials and then find an industrial partner to explore a novel use of light in the machinery. A partnership was formed with Ivoclar, a dental specialist, which continues to flourish today.
Together they have created 20 patent families which they jointly own. Ivoclar has all the dental rights, funds any research not publicly funded and pays the IP bill. TU Vienna retains all the other usage rights and shares the royalties with Ivoclar.
The two spin-outs that have evolved from this platform are managed by post-graduates with input from Professor Stampfl. Lithoz, which prints 3D ceramics for biomedical and industrial applications, now employs 110 people. more recently, Cubicure is building on innovations in 3D printing for industrial polymers. Each spin-out operates under a separate set of licences for materials and machines from TU Vienna, although both have started to file their own patents, continuing the cycle of innovation that began with TU Vienna.
‘It’s appealing for our students to have the chance of putting research into an industrial setting,’ says Professor Stampfl. ‘Such partnerships depend on recognizing the value of an industrial mindset. You have to step back from being an innovator and recognize that it’s not easy to raise money, manage safety or hire people. So in the beginning, it’s about innovation. Later on, it’s about execution and operation.’
‘We want to give our industrial partners all the rights they require and retain all the other rights, so we don’t cut off future developments and we can work with other partners.’ • This text is from ‘Deep tech to market’, a chapter of four EPO case studies by Thomas Bereuter and Ilja Rudyk, which highlights the experiences and insights of becoming a high-growth, high-impact venture.
