ZSI participated at the Horizon Europe project IMPAC³T-IP conference “Towards a broader impact: securing societal and economic benefits from knowledge transfer” and training in Antwerp on 5-6 February 2026. The conference brought together knowledge and technology transfer offices, universities, policymakers and licensing professionals to explore how research and innovation can deliver greater societal and economic impact. The event was hosted at the University of Antwerp and officially presented the IMPAC³T-IP toolbox and Academy™, designed to support TTOs and KTOs tackle a range of different licensing scenarios.
During the conference, Inese Gavarane, senior researcher at ZSI, moderated a panel on co-creation for societal benefit. Expert panelists, Marzia Mazzonetto, CEO and Founder of Stickydot (Belgium), Claus Claeys, Research Manager at KU Leuven (Belgium) and Janne Eskola, Vice President of Demola Global (Finland), shared insights on the practical mechanisms that enable genuine partnerships between universities, citizens, government and industry to develop community-centric solutions. The discussion also explored best practices for ensuring that all stakeholders derive tangible benefits from co-creation, as well as how IP and data-sharing are managed.
The panel also fostered synergy among ongoing Horizon Europe projects and highlighted the importance of interaction between different initiatives. In particular, Marzia Mazzonetto, coordinator of the Co-Value project, shared her experience in running pilots that engage startups and citizens in knowledge valorization processes. Claus Claeys introduced a platform for expert facilitators within the EU.FFICIENT project, designed to strengthen co-creation processes across Europe. Janne Eskola presented insights into the Co-Creation Scenario Toolbox, developed as part of IMPAC³T-IP.
IMPAC³T-IP is continuing its series of on-site and online training sessions on its developed toolbox. For more information, please visit project’s webpage.
ZSI is grateful to the IMPAC³T-IP team for the invitation and looks forward to continued collaboration and future opportunities.
Photo credit: Claus Claeys
