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Good practice Imported

ETH transfer — ETH Zurich's University-to-Market Technology Transfer Office

Switzerland · Zurich · See the Switzerland profile · See the Zurich profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 54% 67/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

ETH Zurich's technology-transfer office filed 107 patents and 49 licences in 2024, backing 37 new spin-offs that year within a base of 530+ active companies since 1973, which raised CHF 425 million and post a 93% five-year survival rate.

141 disclosures
Invention disclosures (2024)
107 applications
Patent applications filed (2024)
49 licences
Licences granted (2024)
37 spin-offs
New spin-offs (2024) (2024)
46 spin-offs
New spin-offs (2025) (2025)
425 CHF million
Spin-off financing raised (2024) (2024, 42 rounds)
540 CHF million
Spin-off financing raised (2025) (2025)
93 %
Five-year survival rate of spin-offs (cumulative since 1973)
530+ companies
Cumulative spin-offs since inception (1973-2025)
ETH transfer — ETH Zurich's University-to-Market Technology Transfer Office

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
ETH Zurich (ETH transfer / ETH Entrepreneurship)
Period
1973–2025
Region (NUTS)
CH04
Keywords
technology transfer, university spin-offs, patent licensing, deep-tech commercialisation

Context

ETH transfer is ETH Zurich's technology-transfer office, operating continuously since 1973 to manage patent filing, licensing and spin-off company formation from university research.

Activities

The office processes invention disclosures, files patents, negotiates licences and supports founders through ETH Entrepreneurship in launching spin-off companies, with particular concentration in AI/machine learning and biotechnology/pharmaceuticals.

Results

In 2024 the office recorded 141 invention disclosures, 107 patent applications and 49 licences granted, backing 37 new spin-offs (46 in 2025) that raised CHF 425 million across 42 financing rounds in 2024 (CHF 540 million in 2025); the cumulative total exceeds 530 spin-offs since 1973, with a reported 93% five-year survival rate.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — Operates as a standing university office funded through institutional budget; leverages rather than directly provides the external private financing raised by spin-offs (CHF 425m in 2024).
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Continuous operation since 1973 (over 50 years) with annual reporting cycles; current scale (530+ cumulative spin-offs) reflects five decades of build-up.
Staffing & skills
Dedicated technology-transfer office (ETH transfer), ETH Entrepreneurship founder-support unit

Conditions for success

  • Long institutional continuity (50+ years)
  • Sustained pipeline of invention disclosures from a large research university
  • Sector focus enabling deep expertise (AI/ML, biotech)

Where it fits

Governance type
university-run technology-transfer office
Scale
institutional (single university, national/international reach)
Income level
high-income

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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