Research Lab
For working groups that manage their invention work together.
Universities, research and spin-offs
From research to transfer, commercialization and spin-offs.
Develop inventions from research visibly and guide them into commercialization: from the first idea in the lab through the invention disclosure to filing, license or spin-off.
Coming soon Universities, technology transfer offices and campus licenses follow after market launch.
Four building blocks for universities.
Technology transfer office
For receiving, documenting and coordinating invention disclosures.
Campus
For several faculties and institutes with a central contract and budget.
Spin-off route
For moving an invention into a spin-off.
Variants
| Variant | What is included |
|---|---|
| Research Lab | For a research group that works on inventions together. |
| Transfer Office Starter | Receive disclosures, assign roles, work with the law firm and commercialize. |
| Transfer Office Professional | Plus portfolio, transfer, remuneration and approvals. |
| Campus | For many institutes, with central roles and budgets. |
Research Lab: researchers and working groups.
Technical invention work can be built up interactively: collect ideas, involve co-inventors and develop the invention model further together.
- Scientists and teams work in the same visual invention workspace with technical variants.
- Lab documentation and experimental data serve as material from which features emerge.
- Inventor contributions and versions remain traceable, and collaboration is controlled.
Technology transfer office.
- Invention disclosure and intake in one place, with institute and staff roles.
- Questions, decision and approval process between researchers and the technology transfer office.
- Portfolio and files, law firm review and a named cost bearer per case.
- Data protection and confidentiality remain part of every case, see AI and data protection.
From research result to commercialization.
- Researchersrecord the idea in a structured way
- Invention disclosurewith co-inventors and shares
- Transfer officereviews, documents, coordinates
- Commercializationfiling, license or spin-off
Schematic diagram of a possible process, not a product interface.
Publication: decide first, then publish.
Before a publication come questions of timing, disclosure and rights. ErfinderWerk makes them visible and records questions between researchers and the technology transfer office. A person always makes the decision.
Remuneration and § 42 ArbnErfG.
For inventions by university employees, § 42 of the Arbeitnehmererfindungsgesetz (German Employee Inventions Act, ArbnErfG) can set the framework. Whether it applies in an individual case depends on the employment relationship. Exceptions and the basis of commercialization also play a role. There is no general statement for students and spin-offs.
Remuneration is calculated in ErfinderWerk: the remuneration calculator based on the German guidelines calculates per inventor and per year, also across patent families. It is an aid, not legal advice: a qualified person, for example in your legal department or technology transfer office, checks the result.
Campus: the whole university, one framework.
- Faculties, institutes and administration work under one campus contract.
- Central budgets for AI and users, reporting across all units.
- Connection to the university's identity system on request.
- Accounts are separated from each other at database level.
Connect the university's own AI.
Universities can connect their own AI, also on customer-owned AI servers. Partners for hardware and software apply as with Enterprise. The operating models are described on the page Enterprise.
Collaboration with law firms and experts.
Law firms review within the same case. The page Patent law firms shows how this looks; experts and partners are described in the Expert network.
Spin-offs: from research into a company of your own.
If an invention is to become a company, rights, contributors and licenses must be transferred clearly. ErfinderWerk records who contributed what and what is released for the new space.
Coming soon Spin-offs are a later expansion stage.
Rights and contributors
Invention, inventor team and contributions remain traceable, with versions and evidence.
Transfer released information
Only what authorized people release moves into the new space.
Keep license and transfer separate
A right of use is different from a change of ownership. Both need approval by authorized people.
Partners, law firm and investors
As viewers, they see only the excerpts that you release. You stay in control.
The route into the new company space.
- Inventionwith inventor team, contributions and versions
- Rights clarifiedlicense or transfer reviewed by authorized people
- Releaseselected content confirmed for the new space
- New companyworks separately, partners see only released content
Schematic diagram of a possible process, not a product interface.
- The new space is separate from the previous one. Nothing is copied automatically.
- University IP is never transferred automatically. Rights pass only through agreements that people review and sign.
Frequently asked questions.
Can universities use ErfinderWerk today?
Individual researchers can use ErfinderWerk as individuals from market launch. Research Lab, Transfer Office and Campus follow afterwards. Confidentiality information is in the data sheet and in the confidentiality commitment.
Does this replace the review by the technology transfer office?
No. ErfinderWerk prepares. Assessment, legal questions and decisions remain with the responsible bodies.
Plans and features at a glance.
The pages on features and plans show what separates Lab, Transfer and Campus. Researchers join the waitlist themselves.