Technology transfer / Research contracts
ETH Zurich encourages collaboration with third parties and is interested in enabling direct exchange with industry and thereby facilitating the transfer of research results into practice.
ETH transfer (Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations) gives advice to researchers on all questions that arise from collaboration with industry and the commercial exploitation of research results. ETH transfer supports scientists in concluding research agreements, patent applications and licences. ETH Entrepreneurship supports all ETH students, researchers and employees in founding spin-offs or start-up companies.
Contracts
Contractual agreements with a total volume of CHF 10,000 and above must be concluded in writing. Where possible, please use ETH Zurich standard contract templates.
For all research contracts, signatory powers are specified in the research contract guidelines. All research and service contracts of CHF 50,000 and above require the prior written approval of the Vice President for Research or the Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations. Contracts which will extend beyond a professor’s period of employment, due to entry into emeritus status or the end of the employment contract, must be approved by the relevant academic department.
When concluding a contract, it must be ensured that ETH Zurich’s risks (e.g. liability) are minimised and that the research results can be published in a timely manner. Services by ETH Zurich must be offered under market conditions, i.e. advantage may not be taken of subsidies to compete with third parties.
Where ETH Zurich may otherwise not be able to dispose of all the required rights to the results in a project with a third party (e.g. when students are involved), such rights must be secured by ETH Zurich by means of a written agreement.
Any sale of or award of licence rights to existing intellectual property owned by ETH Zurich must be approved by the Vice President for Research respectively Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations.
The use of ETH Zurich infrastructure by third parties (including spin-off companies) requires contractual agreement and compensation for ETH Zurich.
The ETH Zurich unit (professorship) that concludes a contract with a third party in the name of ETH Zurich is fully responsible for ensuring that the interaction with the contractual partner is ethically and morally justifiable and that all obligations specified in the contract will be fulfilled (confidentiality, publication process, assurance of usage rights, obtaining approvals, legal compliance, etc.). This also applies when the contract has been approved by the Vice President for Research or the Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations.
- Download vertical_align_bottom Verordnung des ETH-Rates über die Immaterialgüter im ETH-Bereich (Ordinance issued by the ETH Board concerning Intellectual Property for the ETH Domain and Investments in Companies); available only in German
- Download vertical_align_bottom Weisungen des ETH-Rates über die Beteiligungen an Unternehmungen im ETH-Bereich (Guidelines issued by the ETH Board concerning stakes in companies in the ETH Domain and Investments in Companies, RSETHZ 440); available only in German
- Download vertical_align_bottom Guidelines Concerning Contracts in the Field of Research at ETH Zurich (Research Contract Guidelines)
- Download vertical_align_bottom Richtlinien für die wirtschaftliche Verwertung von Forschungsergebnissen an der ETH Zürich (Guidelines for the Financial Exploitation of Research Results at ETH Zurich, RSETHZ 440.4); available only in German
- Download vertical_align_bottom Guidelines for the spin-off of Companies at ETH Zürich (Spin-off guidelines)
- All research or services contracts of CHF 10,000 and above must be made in writing. For each such contract, a separate SAP project with a PSP element must be opened.
- When budgeting, all incurred overheads and VAT must be taken into account.
- Any questions related to research contracts with business and industry and the application of research results must be addressed to ETH transfer at an early stage.
- Contact ETH Entrepreneurship for advice on spin-off foundations.