Two new projects have recently joined the Valorisation Practices ecosystem: KnowVaLte – Knowledge Valorisation to Everyone and ALL4KV – European Alliance for Knowledge Valorisation. Their consortia bring together organisations with experience in knowledge and technology transfer, professional development, citizen engagement, standardisation and innovation support.
European policy guidance on knowledge valorisation, including the four EU Codes of Practice, sets common principles for this work. However, applying these principles in everyday practice requires resources that organisations can find and adapt, learning opportunities tailored to professionals’ needs, and stronger links between the intermediaries supporting research and innovation.
The two projects address these needs from complementary angles. KnowVaLte will organise, adapt and tailor existing resources for professionals and institutions, while ALL4KV will connect knowledge valorisation intermediaries and the networks in which they work. Together, they will support a more connected and practical approach to knowledge valorisation across Europe.
KnowVaLte: Making existing resources easier to use
The consortium is coordinated by RISE and brings together EURICE, the Association of European Science and Technology Transfer Professionals, the Centre d’Innovació i Tecnologia de la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, the University Industry Innovation Network, Aarhus University, the European Citizen Science Association and the Romanian Association for Standardization.
The project builds on the premise that many knowledge and technology transfer offices already have access to training, tools and services developed through European initiatives. These are often spread across different platforms and projects. Some address similar topics, use different approaches or are difficult to adapt to a particular professional or institutional context.
The project will map and review these materials to identify what can be reused, adapted or combined, developing new resources only where clear gaps remain. A dual self-assessment will help tailor the available support to individual and institutional needs. Professionals will be able to identify their skills, interests and learning needs, while institutions will assess their services and capacities. The results will guide users towards suitable learning paths and help institutions identify areas for improvement.
The project will bring the resulting resources together through an open-access KV-HUB. It will include learning pathways, service blueprints, training materials and case studies, helping professionals and institutions find relevant support and apply it in their own settings.
ALL4KV: Connecting knowledge valorisation intermediaries
The consortium is coordinated by the Association of European Science and Technology Transfer Professionals and includes RISE, EURICE, the European Science Engagement Association, the European Clusters Alliance and the Belgian Electrotechnical Committee.
Intermediaries take many forms, including knowledge and technology transfer offices, clusters, standardisation bodies, innovation agencies and citizen-engagement organisations. They support connections between research, industry, policy and society.
ALL4KV builds on the observation that many of these actors are not yet recognised as part of the knowledge valorisation ecosystem. Some do not identify themselves as intermediaries, while existing networks often operate separately. This limits the exchange of experience and makes it harder to find complementary expertise and opportunities for cooperation.
The project will map intermediary roles and competences and clarify how different actors contribute to knowledge valorisation. It will develop ways for existing networks and initiatives to exchange knowledge and work together, while helping intermediaries strengthen their professional and collaborative capacities.
The project will support these connections through a digital gateway where intermediaries can browse relevant resources, find complementary networks and expertise, and access opportunities for exchange and cooperation.
Connecting projects across the ecosystem
KnowVaLte and ALL4KV address complementary aspects of knowledge valorisation. They are also part of a wider group of projects funded under the same call, alongside ongoing European initiatives and activities working on related topics. As this work develops, stronger connections will be important for sharing experience, identifying complementarities and reducing duplication.
The conference “From Knowledge to Impact: Connecting People, Projects and Ecosystems”, held in Zagreb, was a first step in this direction. It brought together the two projects, other initiatives already known to the organisers, and researchers, policymakers, knowledge-transfer professionals and other innovation stakeholders. The event provided an opportunity to present the projects, explore possible links and hear what potential users and partners actually need.
The discussions on different valorisation pathways and the support surrounding them also showed why connecting projects, expertise and networks matters when moving research towards application.
The conference marked the beginning of a wider effort to connect projects and initiatives working across the knowledge valorisation ecosystem. Further exchange can help identify where activities could be clustered, where resources can be shared and where cooperation can strengthen the results of individual projects