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WP5 roster’s work and utilization of survey outcomes To foresee which technologies are considered by NeurotechEU experts as impactful currently and in the longer term is an extremely relevant piece of information for a body that is to address technological innovation. The insight needed was delivered by a survey conducted by Schaap and Celikel:

The outcomes of that survey indicate that acutely the most important challenges to be tackled include Health & Heath Care, Biological & Artificial Intelligence, and Learning & Education, and the most impactful technologies that will provide solutions are Robotics, Machine Learning, and Treatment and Diagnostic Technologies and Sensing Technologies. This information was used in designing an online first NEURICOO event. The focus was to bring together academics, students, and representatives of industry clusters of İSEK and Health Valley Netherlands in an attempt to explore the needs of the participants to translate innovations developed into industry and market. This was done in four parallel discussion/brainstorming sessions on themes that were identified by the survey outcomes as described above.

On 25 May 2021, NEURICOO was launched with an online event entitled “Industry Meets Academics and Students” with approximately 400 participants (see event poster below). In the event, Can Yücesoy welcomed all participants, introduced NEURICOO, and presented its aims as a platform developed by Neurotech^EU’s Technological Innovation work package (WP5) roster. He indicated that İSEK, Istanbul Health Industries Cluster, a body involving 171 companies, 22 universities, 14 NGOs, and 3 public corporations by design, is a central gateway for NEURICOO to translate innovations into industry. He also announced that Health Valley Netherlands, a major cluster body for life sciences and health fields operating in south Holland, is joining this platform.

Can Yücesoy’s introduction to NEURICOO was followed by talks of Cengizhan Öztürk and Koen van den Hurk which delivered detailed information about İSEK and Health Valley Netherlands, respectively. The launching event also offered four parallel communication/brainstorming sessions on the following key technologies that provide solutions to major neurochallenges: (1) Robotics & Neuro/Medical Devices, (2) Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, (3) Diagnostics & Treatment Methods and (4) Sensing Technologies.

The main outcome of this event, besides launching NEURICOO was a set of questions, which were identified by the participants in the discussions in breakout rooms and brought to the round table discussion by the session leads: Can Yücesoy (Boğaziçi University), Mohsen Kaboli (BMW and Radboud University), Dafin Muresanu (Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca) and Tansu Çelikel (Radboud University). Those questions were cast into a dedicated NEURICOO survey, What is Needed To Translate Innovations into Industry, which was spread across all participants from all partnering universities and companies. The results of that survey are presented below, and they are shaping NEURICOO’s ongoing specific actions towards the accomplishment of WP5 achievements.

What is Needed to Translate Innovations into Industry?

Around 150 participants comprising academics, students, company, cluster and TTO representatives (see figure for their percentages) casted opinions that now shape NEURICOO actions to serve for the needs of NeurotechEU stakeholder’s technological innovation challenges. The participants were asked to vote for each topic by choosing scores from 1 (least important) to 5 (most important). In the report, scores of 4 and 5 were taken to indicate the highest level of importance. Percentages indicated in the text are the summed percentages of participants answering 4 and 5. ​

Access to grants, funds and subsidies for research and innovation are the central need indicated by participants.

80.7%

of the participants indicate a need for action towards European Commission Research and Development funds. Participation in the NeurotechEU-NEURICOO ecosystem can be particularly beneficial because this will allow stakeholders to form consortiums for European Commission Research and Development funds via informed match making.

76.6%

of the participants indicate a need for action towards European Commission Research and Development funds. Participation in the NeurotechEU-NEURICOO ecosystem can be particularly beneficial because this will allow stakeholders to form consortiums for European Commission Research and Development funds via informed match making.

75.7%

of the participants indicate a need for action towards European Commission Research and Development funds. Participation in the NeurotechEU-NEURICOO ecosystem can be particularly beneficial because this will allow stakeholders to form consortiums for European Commission Research and Development funds via informed match making.

Knowing what is available across the ecosystem can facilitate achievement far and beyond​

76.1%

of the participants expect enriching of their existing R&D capacity by partnering with others. Access to space, equipment, knowhow, and innovations available in partners were viewed as a major contribution NEURICOO can provide.

73.1%

of the participants indicate Neurotech^EU and NEURICO portals as assets that can support innovators and translation of innovations into industry. Participants consider NEURICO website can be used effectively as a platform for jobs, training, partnering, career, licensing and matching opportunities in the Neurotech^EU-NEURICOO ecosystem.

71.0%

of the participants think NEURICOO can directly affect collaborative innovations. A matchmaking across Neurotech^EU-NEURICOO ecosystems is indicated as a facilitator for one-on-one technology co-development.

Specific trainings towards neuromorphic innovations and entrepreneurship for students, and recruiting well trained employees for companies to serve for the R&D job market​

67.0%

of company representatives think NEURICOO can help them with recruitment. Particularly companies but also academics (59.2% of all participants) consider that NEURICOO can facilitate trainings and a job market for the recruitment of well-educated top-level R&D employees, tailored for the specific innovation development.

88.0%

of students expect NEURICOO to organize dedicated online training and certificate programs. To operationalize development of neuromorphic innovations and technologies translatable into the industry and economy, NeurotechEU-NEURICOO ecosystem needs unique Life Long Learning education materials and innovative education technologies to be provided.

80.0%

of students indicate that they lack an entrepreneurship training. Particularly students, but also numerous stakeholders (62.3% of all participants) viewed one crucial topic NEURICOO should provide such training is on an entrepreneurial approach to R&D.

NEURICOO may increase stakeholders’ engagement for elevation of TRL (Technological Readiness Level) of innovations and utilization of TTO’s (Technology Transfer Offices)​

52.4%

of participants prioritize actions towards TRL4+ innovations whereas, another 26.9% of them are in the pool with moderate interest, suggesting that NEURICOO can assist such transferring of innovations into industry and market via e.g., an effective matchmaking between researchers and companies and R&D focused lifelong learning/certificate programs.

59.9%

of participants prioritize actions towards an improved cooperation of TTOs whereas, another 25.9% of them indicate moderate expectations, suggesting that NEURICOO can assist elevating the function of TTO’s in the universities and industry clusters towards the development of research collaboration agreements and IP management formats via establishing their mutual cooperation.