Universities and public research organisations play a very important role in the national and regional economies of European countries, in the way that they can offer companies what they need to remain on the cutting edge of innovation: access to the technologies, facilities and world-class researchers within the laboratories and universities. This process of using the technology, facilities, expertise and know-how of researchers is called "Technology Transfer (TT)".

Besides benefits to companies and related economies, these research organisations also enhance their potential value, as they are able to transfer their intellectual capital to companies and the outcomes of their technological research into existing companies or new business opportunities, thus helping to create innovative products and processes. Although highly aware of the need to exchange, transfer and license new technologies, most organizations lack not only the initiative, but also the means to perform this task.

The process relies heavily on personal networking and involves many financial and organizational efforts, which sometimes create barriers to TT. Nevertheless, this Technology transfer can be achieved either by licensing the Intellectual Property (IP) to an existing company or by collaborating with a company by means of a contract. The creation of successful university spin-off companies, which will develop and commercialise the new technologies coming out of universities, is also a possibility.

In the MNAA network several in-house technologies suitable for spin-off creation were identified, mainly in the area of new materials, equipment and software development and know-how. All partner institutions have already an established policy for the ownership, development and exploitation of IP. In most cases, the University is the first owner of IP, but there is an established form of sharing revenues with the staff that generated IP. In other situations, where research contracts are established with companies, the contract determines in which way IP will be shared, as its terms establish the conditions to determine ownership and intellectual properties rights.

For all the situations above mentioned, a trained Technology Transfer team is responsible for the identification of the best route to commercialisation, which depends on factors such as development stage of the technology, market to achieve and eventual need to raise funds.