University spin-offs and technology transfer

Read the PDF edition (2 pages)

The University of Basel and the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Basel are important sources of new companies. Their inventions are managed by technology transfer offices, which negotiate licence agreements and equity participations with the founders. Unitectra, the technology transfer organisation of the Universities of Basel, Bern and Zurich, was established in 1999 as a joint company of these universities.¹ The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich has its own technology transfer office, which also serves the Basel department.

Swiss universities generally own the inventions of their employees under cantonal university law or under the employment provisions of the Code of Obligations, which allow the employer to claim inventions made in the course of employment.² The terms on which universities transfer their inventions to start-ups are therefore a central question for founders. A university may take shares in the company, a royalty on future sales, or a combination of both. Investors watch these terms carefully, because a university's stake or royalty that is too high can make a company unattractive for later financing. The Swiss Innovation Agency, Innosuisse, supports the transfer process with grants and coaching programmes for start-ups.³

Notes

On Unitectra AG, the technology transfer organisation of the Universities of Basel, Bern and Zurich, established in 1999, see its annual reports. To be verified. ↩
Art. 332 of the Swiss Code of Obligations on inventions made by employees in the performance of their duties, together with the cantonal university legislation on the ownership of research results. To be verified. ↩
On the funding instruments of Innosuisse for start-ups and innovation projects, see the Federal Act on the Promotion of Research and Innovation (RIPA) and Innosuisse's annual reports. To be verified. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of August 2025.

English

Contact

Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

Get in touch →

University spin-offs and technology transfer

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?