The Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) is one of Switzerland’s five university hospitals and ranks among the world’s best, according to Newsweek magazine’s 2025 ranking. With a budget of 2 billion Swiss francs (approximately 2.5 billion USD), CHUV employs 12,675 people and has 1,548 beds. Each year, it treats 53,964 patients, accounting for 495,339 equivalent hospitalization days and 79,545 emergency visits. In collaboration with the Faculty of Biology and Medicine at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), CHUV hosts 2,082 medical students and 948 PhD candidates.
UNIL is the university of the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland, comprising seven faculties and over 190 research units. It is home to approximately 3,000 researchers, including 580 professors.
The Knowledge Transfer UNIL CHUV (KT) is a shared service between the two institutions. It is dedicated to protecting and licensing intellectual property arising from research discoveries, promoting collaboration with industry, and supporting the creation of new spin-offs by researchers from both UNIL and CHUV.
Please tell us about your education and professional experience.
KT’s licensing managers have diverse professional backgrounds, with prior experience as academic researchers, typically in biology or chemistry, and industry experience in both large corporations and startups.
Tell us about the University of Lausanne and what sets your institution apart.
Located on a beautiful campus nestled in wild nature and just a few meters from Lake Geneva, UNIL is a leading academic institution in fields as diverse as genetics, film aesthetics, environmental law, and forensic science. It fosters a strong culture of interdisciplinarity through several dedicated centers, including the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research (CIRM), the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sports Research, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics Research, and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Life Course Research, as well as national research hubs such as the NCCR Microbiomes.
UNIL professor Jacques Dubochet was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing cryo-electron microscopy, enabling high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution.
What are the primary areas of focus/centers of excellence/strengths there?
UNIL is a world-leading institution in several fields, including sport science (Interdisciplinary Centre for Sports Research), forensic science (UNIL School of Forensic Science), sustainability, microbiology (NCCR Microbiomes), cryo-electron microscopy (Centre Dubochet), mountain research (CIRM), and ethics (Centre for Ethics Research).
What has been your experience working with international partners, especially startups or venture builders outside of Switzerland?
While actively promoting the creation of new local companies—such as spin-offs from UNIL and CHUV—we also conclude several licensing agreements each year with international partners, primarily based in the EU and the US. We are particularly excited about the VIC-Tech “venture builder” model, in which the researcher-inventors of a technology remain involved in the company’s development, while VIC-Tech assembles an executive team of seasoned experts in the relevant domain. This approach ensures the organic and effective advancement and growth of the business. We view this model as a hybrid between traditional licensing and academic spin-offs, combining the best of both worlds: the involvement of the inventors guarantees scientific credibility and technological continuity, while the experienced executive team drives strategic business development.
At KT, we are committed to supporting researchers who aim to translate their discoveries into real-world impact. Our longstanding support includes funding programs designed to help launch startup companies, such as InnoTREK—a pre-seed funding initiative offering up to 125,000 USD to researchers looking to create their own spin-off based on inventions developed during their PhD or postdoctoral research at UNIL-CHUV. InnoTREK laureates, such as Haya Therapeutics and Lymphatica, have made remarkable advances in medicine and secured record-setting fundraising rounds to support their clinical development efforts in both the EU and the US.
We also offer up to 50,000 USD in funding for proof-of-concept development from patented inventions through our InnoSTEP program.
We are particularly excited about our latest initiatives: InnoDIGITAL, which supports the development of novel software applications; and our hands-on support and coaching for drafting grant applications for applied research funding. These efforts are aimed at fostering the societal and clinical impact of scientific discoveries, bringing innovation closer to the lives of patients and the broader public.