Midlands Innovation Relay Centre

Company visits

Midlands IRC will be happy to visit you and discuss ways in which your organisation can benefit from our help. The company visit is an ideal opportunity for your IRC Business Advisor to get a real feel for the way in which your organisation operates. We can see first hand the resources, facilities and processes you are using. It gives the Business Advisor an opportunity to meet key members of staff and establish a relationship for future work. All discussions are confidential.

We can help you identify:

• where you can introduce new technologies into your company
• where your organisation's technology or know-how is suitable for exploitation to the rest of Europe

Technology Offer: promoting your products, technologies or know-how in European markets.

Midlands IRC will work with you to write a technology offer profile that will promote your technology across the European network. The technology offer will help you find partners for commercialisation, exploitation, or further development. It will typically include:

• a description of your technology and its benefits
• your technology’s innovative aspects
• the type of technology transfer agreement you are seeking, for example licensing, manufacturing, commercial with technical support, or joint venture

Midlands IRC will also carry out a comprehensive search of the corresponding technology request database to identify suitable partners. The Innovation Relay Centre network is proactive in the promotion of new and innovative technologies throughout Europe. Each IRC network member has strong links with industry in its region and will forward new technology offers to relevant contacts in local industry or research base.

Technology Request: finding technology solutions or new products for your business.

If you would like to be more proactive in finding innovative technologies or products, Midlands IRC will work with you to write a technology request profile. The technology request will typically include:

• the type of technology you are looking for
• the problems you want to address
• the type of agreement you are seeking

Midlands IRC will search new technologies to identify any potential partners.

The technology profiles we produce with you can help find the most relevant partners for your organisation in different ways:

• Partner search through the IRC network
  
  The IRC network is geared up to distribute technology profiles as fast as possible through an Intranet, shared by all 71 IRCs across Europe. The profiles are stored in a searchable database. On submission of your technology profile, IRC partner organisations, of which there are over 230, can promote your profile to relevant organisations in their country and locale.

• Partner search through technology events
  
  Midlands IRC can use your technology profile to help organise meetings for you at events. If you are unable to go yourself, we can represent your company at these events. We can also promote your technologies at exhibitions, trade fairs, partnering events and through our day-to-day interaction with the rest of the IRC network.

• Partner search through trade missions
  
  Using your technology profile, we can try to match your organisation to others in Europe. These companies or research centres might be interested in visiting you or having you visit them. These visits are generally linked to key industry sectors and based upon a series of pre-arranged meetings. The package of IRC support includes social events, travel and accommodation.

Information exchange and negotiating agreements

Midlands IRC not only helps you to identify partners but also supports you during the negotiation phase of the contract.

Generally, a confidentiality agreement is required before the open exchange of further information can take place. We can help you draft standard agreements, and tell you about relevant third party experts in the field. We will help to organise meetings by liaising with the overseas IRC to arrange venues, travel and accommodation, and translation services if you need them.

After these meetings, we can help you negotiate an agreement. This help could include showing you samples of agreements, coming to meetings with you, and telling you about technology transfer legal experts.