Impact Licensing Initiative

Project Information

ILI

Grant agreement ID: 101135720

DOI

10.3030/101135720

EC signature date 16 July 2024

Start date 1 August 2024

End date 31 July 2027

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 1 778 125,00

Coordinated by

IMPACT LICENSING INITIATIVE
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ILI (Impact Licensing Initiative)

Reporting period: 2024-08-01 to 2026-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Current IP practices in Europe are too often framed as a binary choice between purely commercial approaches and philanthropic models, such as IP pledges or waivers. This limited perspective leads to several challenges: the underutilisation of intellectual assets for societal value creation, a disconnect between available technologies and pressing unmet needs, and a slowdown in progress towards the EU’s green and inclusive transitions.

The Impact Licensing Initiative (ILI) seeks to address this gap by supporting the European IP and innovation community in embracing a more balanced and dynamic approach. Drawing inspiration from the transformation seen in the investment sector through ESG and impact investing, ILI promotes impact licensing as a complementary model within existing IP practices. Its ambition is to position impact licensing alongside traditional approaches, enabling a more holistic EU-wide IP strategy aligned with broader policy goals for a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economy.

Impact licensing is a strategic approach that enhances the valorisation potential of technologies and data while maintaining their economic value. It involves granting a time-bound, voluntary permission by a technology holder to use an IP asset, technology, product, or service under favourable conditions within a defined market and for a specific societal purpose, such as addressing unmet social or environmental needs or responding to crises.

Beyond enabling access, impact licensing creates incentives for market exploration, fosters reverse (frugal) innovation, and facilitates access to real-world data on technology performance and impact. The overarching objective is to position impact licensing as an innovative, hybrid knowledge valorisation model that delivers both societal and economic benefits. In doing so, the Impact Licensing Initiative addresses a gap in current practices, which are often limited to either purely commercial licensing or purely philanthropic approaches such as free licences or waivers.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

ILI has carried out substantial work to advance impact licensing as a structured and scalable approach to valorising technologies for societal and economic benefit across Europe. A core achievement of the project has been the successful development and validation of an integrated impact licensing toolkit. The toolkit has been designed as a structured, practice-oriented instrument to support technology holders, intermediaries, and users in implementing impact-driven licensing strategies. It consists of six complementary instruments, which have been developed, tested, and made available through a protected digital platform.

In parallel, two dedicated training modules on impact licensing and data stewardship have been developed, tested in academic and professional settings, refined based on stakeholder feedback, and integrated into the online learning platform. Moreover, in a dedicated workshop the team initiated the pressure testing of impact licensing as a model for ensuring access to vital technologies during regional emergencies. These exercises are designed to evaluate operational feasibility, governance requirements, and alignment with public policy objectives, thereby reinforcing the robustness and scalability of the impact licensing model.

Additionally, the Impact Licensing Initiative is setting up a Network of Tech Transfer Facilities for Impact (TT4I) Network, as a coordinated international framework to operationalise Impact Licensing as a strategic instrument for responsible knowledge valorisation. Moving beyond transactional IP licensing, TT4Is position technology transfer as a systemlevel intervention that translates research and innovation (R&I) excellence into measurable societal, environmental and economic outcomes. TT4Is are defined as broker organisations operating as independent intermediary entities, mandated to facilitate the transfer of sustainable technologies between technology holders and licensees active in societal markets, with the specific objective of generating measurable positive impact in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. They execute their mandate by identifying, coordinating, and enabling the exchange of intellectual property-protected know-how, in such a manner that maximises societal benefit within an economically sustainable and scalable framework.

The ILI Consortium is also developing a one-stop IP pool of impact licensed technologies in the EU to facilitate collaboration and take up of solutions. The Consortium is continously in discussions with key international and European stakeholders. These exchanges explored the feasibility, governance requirements, and strategic value of creating an IP pool that aggregates technologies licensed under impact-oriented conditions to facilitate collaboration and uptake.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The objectives and expected outcomes of ILI are closely aligned with the EU IP Action Plan and the European Parliament’s report on strengthening IP to support Europe’s recovery and resilience. By advancing improved IP management in research and innovation, the project seeks to transform excellent research into tangible benefits for society and businesses across the EU and beyond.

A key outcome of the project is the development of a comprehensive toolkit, including technology screening, impact licensing builder, impact finance, and the establishment of sustainable network of TT4Is. These instruments support technology sharing, scaling, and the creation of societal value.

Furthermore, the project contributes to enhancing preparedness for future crises by enabling the transfer of impact licensing practices to areas such as health emergencies and climate change.

Additionally, the ILI project strengthens the capacity of EU-13 research and innovation actors to participate more effectively in transnational R&I activities, while fostering networking and access to excellence. Through its Community of Practice, EU-13 participants are supported in enhancing their research and innovation systems, increasing their competitiveness and integration within the European landscape. This contributes to a more balanced and resilient EU-wide R&I ecosystem, enabling all regions to progress together. By reinforcing collaboration and knowledge exchange, ILI helps ensure that the IP and innovation ecosystem can better develop and adapt solutions to societal challenges, both within Europe and beyond.