Technology Transfer

in 2025


The Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) unit at IFAE continued to drive high-impact innovation in 2025, reaching significant milestones in the valorization and commercialization of IFAE technologies, mainly in the quantum computing and medical imaging domains. IFAE’s spin-offs successfully scaled by means of an investment round closing and several convertible loan signatures, as well as the launch of Europe’s first multimodal quantum infrastructure in Barcelona.

2025 TECH. TRANSFER OUTPUT AT IFAE


€150,000

in public funds awarded for technology valorization

117k€

in technical services invoiced to public and private entities

€13M+

in public and private investment and capital increases secured by IFAE spin-offs.

1

New EU patent application filed for multimodal spectral nuclear medicine.

1

Major technology infrastructure launched by Qilimanjaro’s spin-off (Quantum Data Center in Barcelona 22@).

4

IFAE Researchers trained in entrepreneurship (BIST/ESADE 'From Science to Business' course).


GENERAL KTT ACTIVITIES

  • Strategic Planning: Presented the IFAE’s Innovation Strategic Plan to the External Scientific Advisory Board (representatives from Caltech, CERN, Harvard, UC Berkeley, etc.).
  • Portfolio of 12 Patent Families Managed: Continued maintenance, valorization and growth of the institute’s intangible asset portfolio across medical devices, quantum, and sensing technologies.
  • Innovation Showcasing:
    • S4I – Science for Industry: Featured a SPECT detector prototype at the SOMMA stand. Tech published in a technology catalog of the SOMMA Alliance.
    • I-CERCA Scout Techcase#2: Business proposal scouting session for the 13th Ginjol call awarded projects. Presentation of the business model for a medical physics project to venture builder companies and IP valuation firms (Zubilabs, MWC, COFI).
  • EU Project Leadership: Presented the status of WP7.3 (IPR Policy and Tech Market Potential analysis) for the Einstein Telescope-Preparatory Phase (ET-PP) EU project at the annual meeting’25 in Barcelona.


INNOVATION PROJECTS AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATIVE R&D

  • NDAs & Agreements:
    • Signed NDAs with 3 private companies (2 ES, 1 US) to support entrepreneurship and valorization projects. Negotiated access rights for data use related to a SPECT detector project.
  • Collaborative Agreements:
    • Signed a MoU with the European Space Agency (ESA) for a space project.
    • Collaboration Agreement signed for a Neutrinos international research project.


R&D RESULTS PROTECTION (IPR MANAGEMENT)

  • Patent Filings: Filed a new EU patent application for a Multimodal spectral nuclear medicine scanner.
  • Licensing:
    • Open Source licensing scheme implementation (3-clause BSD) for CTAO.
    • Invoicing of licensing royalties derived from the Tech Transfer Agreement signed in 2020 between IFAE and Deep Detection.
    • Ownership and exploitation agreement signed involving the University of Geneva and University of Birmingham for a joint Proton CT Detector patented technology.
    • Update of Baretek’s spin-off know-how license.
  • Portfolio Promotion: Active participation in the Fira Innovació UAB.by the KTT Unit, Technical Division and Medical Physics Group of IFAE.


TECHNOLOGY VALORIZATION

  • 1 Project awarded for the development of a proof of principle based on a nuclear medicine tomographic scanner (Atrae, AEI).*
  • ADONIS Project: Awarded €150,000 (AGAUR - Producte) for the valorization of a photon-counting spectral mammography detector.
  • Tech exploitation opportunity validation:
    • Retrofit Spectral Mammography entrepreneurship project: Research and IPR due diligence performed by LEITAT, leading to project admission into The Collider 2026 program, a venture builder programme by the MWC Foundation.
    • The SPECT preclinical scanner entrepreneurship project successfully finalized the opportunity validation phase within The Collider 2025


SPIN-OFF CREATION AND GROWTH

  • Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech
    • Capital Increase: Secured a 10M€ investment round (including funding from FITA fund 2025) with participation from EIF, ICF, Repsol, ICO Axis, and GVP, among others.
    • Strategic Funding: Signed a convertible loan agreement with AVANÇSA.
    • Infrastructure: Launched the Quantum Data Center in Barcelona’s 22@ district (Nov 2025), Europe’s first multimodal quantum infrastructure combining analog/digital quantum processors with classical HPC.
  • Deep Detection
    • Product Launch: Debuted the new PhotonAi® DS Camera Line at the Control trade show in Stuttgart (May 2025).
    • Growth: Secured a convertible loan for technology scaling and a tax lease action was executed.

New Ventures

  • SPECT Preclinical Scanner: IFAE’s entrepreneurship project selected as “Best Project” in the Pre-Acceleració program 2025 (BCN Activa) and €5,000 prize awarded to the future spin-off.