From research to the ward, Technology Transfer at IRCCS Galeazzi-Sant’Ambrogio Hospital

Paola Bagnoli, Head of Technology Transfer at IRCCS Galeazzi-Sant’Ambrogio Hospital, part of the San Donato Group, within MIND-Milano Innovation District, and Giorgio Racagni, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Milan, talk about how technology innovation can move from research to the hospital ward and the importance of patents in fostering innovation.

Paola Bagnoli holds the role of Head of Technology Transfer at IRCCS Galeazzi-Sant’Ambrogio Hospital, which is one of the anchors of MIND-Milano Innovation District. IRCCS represents ideal places for technology transfer in the biomedical sector. Indeed, the expert explains, “The technology transfer process is aimed at supporting researchers and clinicians conducting research in transferring the results of their studies from laboratories to the hospital ward to patients. These paths are not always  linear processes but can lead to important results.” One of the “flagships” is precisely to work with a “translational medicine” approach.

Finally, to go from research to the market, “we need to involve companies as stakeholders and the intellectual property is crucial in obtaining their commitment. Which is why the patent exists. It is the main tool of industrial property to protect the results of our research”. But, Bagnoli adds, “the patent is not the end point of research, it is the starting point for technology transfer activities. From research to the protection of intellectual property and then to the business development of the technology. Working with companies, with venture capital funds investing in startups, and intellectual property is precisely the starting point”.