From Innovation to Impact: Highlights from the EU-13 Roadshow in Cluj-Napoca

Last week, the EU‑13 Roadshow arrived in Cluj-Napoca as part of the 22^nd edition of the PRO INVENT, hosted by the Technical University of Cluj‑Napoca. This stop brought together a diverse group of researchers, entrepreneurs and innovation professionals to examine how intellectual property (IP) and knowledge valorisation are key to transforming ideas into measurable impact. 

The day followed a structure designed to move participants from strategic understanding to practical action and available support. It began with a focused training session that explored how IP and knowledge-valorisation strategies reinforce collaborative research projects, laying the groundwork for the conversations that followed. 

A panel of researchers and entrepreneurs from Romania’s academic and start-up communities then shared case studies of successful IP use, showing how research-based innovation can translate into viable products and services. Their experiences highlighted the role of institutional support, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the growing maturity of the Romanian innovation ecosystem. 

The discussion was complemented by a session dedicated to the broader European and national support landscape. Representatives of organisations such as the Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks (OSIM), the PATLIB network, the Impact Licensing Initiative, and the Enterprise Europe Network (BISNet) presented existing services that help innovators navigate IP management, licensing, and market deployment. 

The event concluded with a networking session, providing space for further exchange and collaboration among participants from academia, industry, and public institutions. 

Through this stop in Cluj-Napoca, the EU-13 Roadshow reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening IP awareness, supporting knowledge transfer, and connecting innovation actors across the Widening countries.