Good practice:

A special purpose vehicle of the University – fast track of cooperation

The structure of the university and legal conditions often become a barrier to an efficient and flexible approach to cooperation with the socio-economic environment, in particular with business. Often, scientists resign from undertaking scientific and project cooperation due to the excess administrative activity associated with it. One of the tools that eliminates these problems is the University's special purpose vehicle. Operating as a classic company, it combines the needs of the market with the specificity of the University's activities, in an agile manner and adapted to the realities of the market

The scope of operation of the special purpose vehicle is wide and open to reported needs. Concentrating on commercialisation of research results, development works and technologies, as well as transfer of knowledge from the University to the economy, in order to build cooperation between the spheres of science and business, are the main areas of activity of SPIN-US, a special purpose vehicle of the University of Silesia. This unit, through cooperation with researchers, brokers and business representatives initiates implementation of innovative solutions. It operates also in the field of incubation and implementation of ideas, which results in introduction of innovative products, services and solutions to the market.

The use of the University's technical and organizational resources with the knowledge and experience of the special purpose vehicle team. In particular, in the area of science marketing, promotion, development of spin-off companies, raising funds for R&D and many others.

Development of the company in the period (2014) from the concept to the enterprise generating profits with revenues at the level of PLN 1.5 million per year. At that time, the SPIN-US became a co-owner of the VC fund, is developing several spin-off companies of the Uni., and has implemented an acceleration program together with EIT Climate. In addition, it carries out activities in the consortium in ministerial projects to increase the implementation readiness of solutions developed at the Uni.

The key success factors are:
- Understanding the needs of each part
- Quick actions and adapted to the realities of cooperation with business
- Developing a network of contacts, networking in search of development opportunities
- Experience in obtaining funds for R&D

The use of the special purpose vehicle model is an organizational innovation within the University that facilitates activities in the following scope:
- increasing the speed of action adapted to the needs of the socio-economic environment
- carrying out the mission of an entrepreneurial university
- use of areas dedicated to enterprises (national and EU funds) to achieve the strategic goals of the University
- building regional, supra-regional and international partnerships.
- the possibility of testing the products and services of scientists in the sales model with the participation of a special purpose vehicle
- implementation of activities related to the indirect commercialization model - development of spin companies
- operates also in the field of incubation and implementation of ideas, which results in introduction of innovative products, services and solutions to the market.