The INTENSE project is organizing a series of seminars and interactive workshops to train a new generation of responsible scientists-entrepreneurs. Experts from different fields will discuss essential topics to prepare you for starting a scientific business: patents, ethics, funding, medical device safety, quality control in device companies, from start-up to scale-up, marketing & sales, business development & communication, and going from an idea to a product. Apart from training, you will be introduced to an elaborate industry network that can provide internships and assist with the valorization process. Furthermore, INTENSE members can apply for patent- and seed funding. This curriculum consists of 8 seminars divided over a period of two years, with additional workshops in between. By attending the seminars, you will receive a certificate stating that you have completed the INTENSE scientist-entrepreneurship training course.
Upcoming seminars & workshops
Seminar 3: Open Science and IP for Neurotechnology (Nick Halper) - Open for registration!
March 28th 2023 14:00-15:30h @ Zoom
Learn about the role of intellectual property (IP) in commercializing neurotechnology and how movements towards open science and collaboration interact with traditional forms of IP protection, such as patents. During this talk, we will review patent trends in neurotechnology, significant patents from the field, how investors and strategics view IP, and where patents and university work intersect at the tech transfer office. At the end, a case will be made for encouraging open science work in developing new neurotechnologies.
Nick Halper is CEO of Neuromatch, a large open science movement that got its start in neuroscience. He also works as a start-up advisor to a number of neurotechnology companies around the world after working with several teams as a co-founder. His work and specialty are primarily in working on company development strategies to help companies develop out in the open and in collaboration with others while maintaining strong business propositions.
Seminar available on Zoom (max. 100 participants). You can register here.
If you have any questions regarding the INTENSE curriculum, feel free to contact Samantha Wolff (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Umberto Olcese (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Note: INTENSE members have priority on attending the seminars/workshops in-person.
Looking for more?
In search of more interesting seminars and workshops? Thematical Technology Transfer (TTT) helps accelerate and improve the launching of start-ups and spin-offs. Lucky for us, they also offer free seminars and workshops! To expand your entrepreneurship knowledge, check out their upcoming events.
Past seminars & workshops:
Workshop: Turning Research Ideas into Medical Devices (Paul Theunissen)
March 11th 2022 15:00-17:30h @ Trippenhuis (Amsterdam)
Learn about the hurdles in setting up a business from Bert Monna (CEO Phosphoenix) and how to create a successful pitch from Sheila Schenkel (Best3minutes, ACE Incubator).
Seminar 1: Ethics and Neurotechnology (Karin Jongsma)
May 12th 2022 15:00-17:30h @ Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (Amsterdam) // Zoom
An interactive seminar by WP-D co-leader Karin Jongsma on the ethics of brain implants in humans.
Attendance is free, but in-person spots are limited (max. 25). Seminar also available on Zoom (unlimited).
Workshop: Turning Research Ideas into Medical Devices (Paul Theunissen)
May 31st 2022 14:00-17:30h @ Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (Amsterdam)
An exclusive interactive workshop by Paul Theunissen. After 10 years working in product development, in 2005 Paul accidentally became involved in ‘regulatory affairs’ and since then supports medical device start-ups with getting medical devices to the market. During this interactive workshop, Paul will discuss medical device regulatory landscape, device documentation, and quality systems. More information can be found here.
This workshop can only be attended in-person (max. 12 people). Costs are €15.
Seminar 2: Patents and IP Strategy (Yp Kroon & Martijn Vermeulen)
June 7th 2022 15:00-17:30h @ Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (Amsterdam) // Zoom
As a scientist, your research can lead to findings and inventions that can benefit the public. Your immediate thought may be to publish the idea in a scientific journal. However, there are other ways to publish that may be more convenient for future goals. The idea you wish to publish may also be commercially interesting, you could then consider patenting your idea. Patenting an idea does not exclude that it can still be published, at most that it takes place at a later time.
In this seminar, we will look at the importance and process of patenting. Which steps must be taken in order to obtain a patent, and which ideas are interesting to patent? We will lead you through the entire patent application process, so that you know who to consult when you come up with a striking invention. In addition, the patent literature is a useful source of information that is not yet widely used by researchers. We will therefore also help to navigate how you can best search for relevant patents in your field.
Last but not least - for INTENSE members, there is budget available to support you with your patent application. During this seminar, the Career Team will give a short explanation on how to apply for this.
Attendance is free, but in-person spots are limited (max. 25). Seminar also available on Zoom (unlimited).
More information about the INTENSE Project
The INTENSE project (short for Innovative Neurotechnology for Society) is an NWO crossover program that develops brain implants to improve the lives of people who are blind, deaf or paralysed, or who have epilepsy. The research combines the greatly increased knowledge about our brains with new possibilities within neurotechnology. The project connects a visionary team of world-renowned experts in neuroscience, technology, medicine, psychology and ethics to major neurotechnology companies and patient organizations.
INTENSE is one of the projects that has been awarded a grant of € 14.3 million from the NWO Crossover program, and is made up of members of the NeuroTech-NL organization, which is part of the TopSector Life-Science and Health roadmap.