SMART-XFER

SMART-XFER’s overarching objective is to upgrade the capacities, services, and institutional models of Knowledge and Technology Transfer Offices (KTOs/TTOs) in universities and research-performing organisations (RPOs), with a specific focus on the valorisation of Smart City-related R&I results. By leveraging cities as real-world testbeds for innovation, the project will empower KTOs/TTOs to act as strategic enablers of multi-stakeholder knowledge transfer, policy translation, and urban entrepreneurship. Despite the progress in Smart City-related research across European universities and RPOs, the exploitation of R&I results remains uneven due to fragmented valorisation services, under-resourced KTOs/TTOs, and limited integration of entrepreneurial and impact-oriented skills in academic institutions. At the same time, Smart Cities offer an unparalleled opportunity to serve as living laboratories for testing and scaling innovations that address critical urban challenges—such as sustainable mobility, energy transition, digital governance, and inclusive services. SMART-XFER tackles these gaps by delivering a pan-European capacity-building initiative that empowers knowledge transfer professionals and urban researchers to act as catalysts of change within their institutions and communities. Through experiential training, real-world pilots, and digital platform access, the project aims to: • Enhance the capacities and hybrid skillsets of KTO/TTO staff, enabling them to better detect and valorise the market and societal potential of Smart City R&I results; • Upgrade and systematise KTO/TTO services, creating replicable models for multi-stakeholder business development, policy engagement, and urban innovation transfer; • Design and mainstream Smart City innovation curricula and micro-credentials, equipping students and researchers with the skills, tools, and entrepreneurial mindset necessary to ensure greater R&I uptake across Europe.