In an exclusive interview, our President Nathalie Burteau and our Operational Director Eric Wyart talk about the Network’s mission: connecting researchers and businesses to stimulate innovation.
A unique network to valorise research
For two decades, the LiEU Network has brought together the Knowledge Transfer Offices (KTOs) of the French-speaking universities of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles: UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège, UMons and UNamur.
Under the umbrella of the Rectors’ Council (CREF), LiEU facilitates collaboration with businesses by sharing tools, services and best practice, and by offering a single gateway to universities. The Network also plays an active role in science policy bodies and collaborates with other KTOs internationally.
Fostering collaboration and creating value
The link between academic research and the private sector, while already established, could be further strengthened. To this end, the LiEU Network is working closely with the Walloon clusters and the Region’s Strategic Innovation Initiatives, in order to connect businesses with the expertise and technology offers resulting from research, in order to generate innovation projects.
“Our aim is to ensure that the results of academic research have a much greater impact on society and the socio-economic fabric,” stresses Nathalie Burteau.
LiEU creates value by supporting companies from A to Z, identifying and responding to their needs in terms of expertise and funding frameworks in order to encourage collaborations. This can even lead to the creation of spin-off companies from academic research, such as the recent BiocSol at UCLouvain, active in plant bioprotection, or 3D-FibroScreen at ULB, active in R&D in cellular fibrosis.
Do you need more information?
Read the full interview here (in French)
Read the full Trends-Tendances special feature here.
