Speaker
Description
The growing urgency of biodiversity loss calls for new mechanisms capable of transforming scientific knowledge into scalable solutions with environmental, social, and economic impact. While European universities produce significant biodiversity-related research, the pathways through which scientific discoveries evolve into entrepreneurial initiatives remain fragmented and underdeveloped. Traditional technology transfer approaches often struggle to address the early-stage challenges associated with translating complex scientific knowledge into viable ventures.
This contribution proposes the development of a transnational Biodiversity Venture Building Program within the European Universities as an innovative strategic capacity-building instrument for higher education institutions. Building on the experience of the Biodiversity Venture Building Program developed by the University of Palermo in collaboration VeniSIA, Spin-off of Ca'Foscari University of Venice, the initiative seeks to position university alliances not merely as networks for education and research, but as integrated knowledge ecosystems capable of orchestrating the creation of impact-driven ventures.
The venture building can serve as a missing organizational layer between research generation and technology transfer, enabling the systematic identification, validation, and development of biodiversity-related opportunities emerging from university laboratories. Through a collaborative alliance-based model, universities can pool scientific expertise, entrepreneurial competencies, industrial networks, and regional innovation ecosystems to create a shared platform for venture creation.
| Presenting author | Enzo Bivona |
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