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LifeScience Foundation gains FZB as 10th endowing institute

Flexible funds from technology transfer

 

17 February 2016, Munich and Borstel – The Research Center Borstel (FZB), a member of the Leibniz Association, has become the 10th endowing institute of the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research.

The FZB has been working closely for the past 10 years with the Foundation’s subsidiary, Ascenion, which offers technology transfer services for research institutions with a life-science focus. Together, they have established professional structures for the patenting of the FZB’s inventions and have developed several of these towards application. In addition, they have closed 37 agreements with industry partners, and launched two spin-offs. Many of these projects have led to improvements in the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of respiratory infections, allergies and asthma.

As an endowing institute, the FZB will now profit even more from the proceeds of successful technology transfer projects. A large proportion of Ascenion’s earnings flows to the Foundation, which in turn makes these funds available to the founding institutes for further research. Since Ascenion was founded in 2001, a total of around EUR 9.5 million has been provided. A large part comes from exit proceeds – revenues from the sale of shares in spin-offs from Ascenion’s partner institutes. If a spin-off is successful, then significant funding thus flows back to the institute at which the technology originated.

“Through successful spin-off projects, launched with Ascenion’s assistance, endowing institutes are able to generate new research funds,” explains Nicolaus Steenken, Chairman of the Foundation. A further advantage is that endowing institutes can use the funds flexibly and apply for them according to their needs.

“Becoming an endowing institute also reflects our clear commitment to technology transfer,” comments Prof. Stefan Ehlers, Director of the FZB. “Some of our research results are of direct relevance to patients suffering from respiratory infections, allergies and asthma. Together with Ascenion, we are working intensively to transfer these findings into application.”

This goal – unlocking the potential of life-science research for the benefit of society – was what motivated four institutes in the Helmholtz Association to set up the Foundation and its subsidiary, Ascenion, in 2001. Today, Ascenion supports a total of 22 research institutes and university hospitals in all aspects of technology transfer. Ten of these are endowing institutes, including members of the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations, and the Hannover Medical School.

“We are delighted to welcome the FZB as a new endowing institute,” says Dr Christian Stein, CEO of Ascenion. “The foundation’s continuing growth shows that, together, we are on the right track. This model holds great potential for institutes pursuing application-oriented life-science research: whether in public research associations, university hospitals or in other healthcare centres with research programmes.”

The LifeScience Foundation is open to all public research institutes with a life-science focus. Endowment is not, however, a precondition for a collaboration with Ascenion.

 

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Contacts

For Ascenion:
Dr Susanne Letzelter
T: +49 89 318814-16
E: letzelter@ascenion.de

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Über Ascenion

 

Ascenion GmbH is an IP asset management company with particular expertise in the life sciences. Ascenion advises and supports public research institutions with regard to the protection and exploitation of their intellectual property (patents, know-how, materials), and initiates and mediates license agreements between research institutions and industry. The company places particular emphasis on coaching company founders and on active equity management. Ascenion was founded in 2001 as a 100% subsidiary of the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research and is exclusive technology transfer partner of 19 research institutes in the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations, as well as of the Charité, the Hannover Medical School and the research institute TWINCORE. Ascenion currently markets over 750 technologies on behalf of these institutes, and closes an average of about 80 revenue-generating agreements between research and industry per year. The team has also coached numerous spin-offs through their foundation and early growth and Ascenion holds equity in 21 of these companies. Ascenion’s headquarters are in Munich, with further offices in Berlin, Braunschweig, Hamburg, Hanover and Neuherberg.
Further information at www.ascenion.de