Tech transfer
15 % of the CSIC European patents applied in 2019 are from the ICMAB
In 2019 the ICMAB applied for 4 priority patent applications, all of them European, and for an extension in Europe of a French priority patent. This means that from the 34 European patent applications from the CSIC, 5 are from the ICMAB (nearly 15 %). The CSIC leads the European patents applied in Spain, and there is a new record of European patent applications from Spanish origin according to the 2019 Patent Index of the European Patent Office (EPO).
ICMAB and CSIC in the EPO ranking
The CSIC leads the ranking of applications for European patents in Spain, as reflected in the 2019 Patent Index of the European Patent Office (EPO), published on 12 March 2020. With 34 applications, the CSIC is followed by the Tecnalia Research & Innovation Foundation (26), Telefónica (23), the pharmaceutical Esteve (20), Dalphi Metal (19), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) (14), ICFO (Institute of Photonic Sciences) (12) and Repsol (11). The academic institutions contribute significantly to the patent applications: four of the top eight applicants are scientific or research organizations.
Five of the CSIC European patents are from ICMAB researchers, representing a 15 % of the total, and are related to the following:
- An Electrolyte-gated-field-effect transistor. Priority date: 24 April 2019. The inventors are Marta Mas, Francesca Leonardi, Qiaoming Zhang, from the Nanomol Group. IPR: CSIC.
- Nanoparticles and it use for nucleic acid delivery. Priority date: 13 May 2019. The inventors are Nora Ventosa and Jaume Veciana, from the Nanomol Group, and Ariadna Boloix. IPR: 45 %CSIC, 5 % CIBER-BBN and 50 % VHIR.
- Third generation dendrimer, process for production thereof and use thereof. Priority date: 12 August 2019. The inventors are Jose Vidal and Vega Lloveras, from the Nanomol Group. IPR: CSIC.
- An antiferromagnetic bendable recording device. Application date: 26 November 2019. The inventors are Josep Fontcuberta and Ignasi Fina, from the MULFOX group. IPR: CSIC.
- Mineral ice nucleation in sprays at high temperatures. The extension is applied for this patent, which is co-owned by Technoalpin, and the inventor is Albert Verdaguer, from the Surfaces Group. IPR: CSIC and Technoalpin.
The patents applied in Europe by the CSIC, are either priority patent applications or European applications made after an international application Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), some of which have already been licensed in 2020. The CSIC is in the 23rd position in the ranking of the 25 innovative public research centers prepared by the Thomson Reuters agency (2017), and is also the 7th governmental institution in the Scimago ranking, which quantifies scientific production.
Catalunya, Spain and the world in the EPO ranking
Catalunya is the region in Spain in which more patents are filed (34.2 %) with 645 patents, a 8.4 % increase respect to 2018. Catalunya is followed by Madrid (19.2 %) and the Basque Country (10.3 %).
Spanish patent applications at the European Patent Office, with 1,781 patents in 2019, grew by 6 % in compared to the previous year, which represents an increase for the fifth consecutive year and confirms a stable upward trend, positioning Spain in the 15th place in the top 50 countries of European patent applications.
The United States (25%), Germany (15%), Japan (12%), China (7%) and France (6%) are the top 5 countries in the world that present a higher number of European patents.
ICMAB has 9 Technological Offers currently
Currently the ICMAB has 9 active Technological Offers, available in the "ICMAB Industry" website, which has the information of our Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office:
A new dendrimer that can be used as a contrast agent (CA) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This new CA is non-toxic and it is expelled from live tissues in hours, making it the best optionwhen periodical MRI tests are needed. Jose Vidal and Vega Lloveras are behind this offer.
An electrolyte-gated field-effect transistor (EGFET) with enhanced electrical stability. These new EGFETs operate in aqueous environment, and are stable for more than 12 hours under continuous operation, greatly surpassing current state-of-the-art EGFETs. The increased stability makes them suitable for real life applications. The group of Marta Mas-Torrent is behind this offer.
A simple and efficient method to obtain complementary organic semiconductors by using a single, solution-processable material and a single deposition step, in combination with light irradiation. This makes it possible to bring printed electronics into the market by focusing on price and real world applicability.
Method forplant tissue regeneration that involves the use of a bacterial cellulose-based biopolymer. The application of this material directly in plant wounds enhances the formation of new cells layers which boosts the healing processes. Anna Laromaine is responsible for this offer.
A simple, eco-friendly and easily scalable method for the production of graphene oxide aerogel (GO). The material obtained contains numerous functional groups susceptible to derivatisation, and presents high stability in air and aqueous medium. The possible applications are focused on membrane technologies, CO2 adsorption, selective adsorption of gases, supercapacitors and batteries, among others.Ana M. López-Periago and Concepción Domingo are behind this offer.
A simple eco-friendly and reproducible method for the synthesis of Quantum rings and Quantum dots in water. The material obtained has an enhanced fluorescent intensity and a great functionalization capacity, making it interesting for applications in optoelectronics and in biomedical imaging, among others. Clara Viñas and Francesc Teixidor are responsible for this offer.
A new and low-cost method for the manufacture of flexible electrodes obtained from laser processing of graphene oxide (GO) films. planar electrodes with low electrical resistnace and high capacitance per unit area can be obtained, ideal for applications in eelctrochemical sensor and energy storage. Ángel Pérez and Enikö György are behind this offer.
If you are interested in any of the patents or technological offers please contact our Knowledge and Technology Transfer Unit