PhD / Postdoc / Entrepreneurial Skills: Technology transfer as a serious game experience

Research results only create value when they leave the lab and enter the world. This session uses an interactive game format to expose participants to the realities, bottlenecks, and opportunities of technology transfer. The format is fast, practical, and grounded in real cases from the innovation ecosystem. 

Participants learn how scientific insights evolve into applications, products, or services—and why many promising ideas never make it. The session promotes strategic thinking, transferable skills, and a clear understanding of innovation pathways. 

The session is based on an interactive simulation (“Serious Transfer Game”) combined with guided discussion, reflection phases, and short input segments. Participants learn by actively taking decisions in realistic transfer scenarios. 
 

After the workshop, participants:

• are able to assess whether a research result has realistic transfer potential 
• can recognize structural obstacles in technology transfer and evaluate ways to address them 
• can map out early steps toward translating scientific results into societal or economic value 
• are able to reflect on the roles of researchers, institutions, and partners in the transfer process 

Manuel Merki, UZH Innovation Hub, Lead Startup Advice

Early career researchers of all disciplines.

This workshop is part of the "Entrepreneurial skills" series, which is organized in collaboration with the UZH Innovation Hub.

A certificate of participation will be issued for each workshop. When four or more certificates are achieved, participants may request a certificate for "Entrepreneurial skills" issued by the Graduate Campus and Innovation Hub.   

1 ECTS Credit will be awarded (on request) to PhD candidates who have completed four or more workshops of the "Entrepreneurial skills" series. 

Conditions of participation