Venture Center and UNIDO to Host In-Person Training on Technology Transfer with Global Experts
Pune, 13 June 2025. Venture Center, in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), will conduct foundational, in-person training programs from 16th June 2025 to strengthen the capabilities of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) in research institutions and higher education across India. These specialized courses are being conducted under the “Facility for Low Carbon Technology Deployment” (FLCTD) program of UNIDO and will feature leading international and national experts as faculty.
Launched in 2016, by UNIDO, the GEF and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE),Government of India, FLCTD accelerates innovations in energy efficiency. The project aims to unlock India’s innovation and entrepreneurial capabilities to identify innovative technology solutions with the potential to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
FLCTD provides capacity building to innovators on aspects of technology development and
commercialization as well as financial support for conducting field trials in various real-life conditions. This helps reduce risks associated with emerging climate technologies and accelerates their faster adoption. In addition to identifying specific high-potential low-carbon technology innovations and nurturing their deployment, verification and commercialization.
Venture Center, Pune is working with UNIDO as a partner organization to provide capacity-building support and structured training to TTO professionals who play a crucial role in bringing innovations from laboratories to market. Participants will gain hands-on knowledge of licensing, intellectual property (IP) strategy, commercialization, and international best practices in technology transfer. They will have an option to become a member of technology-transfer community for information and experience sharing within India’s innovation landscape. The upcoming training will be delivered in two formats:
One week course on Technology Transfer in Practice
Designed for early-career professionals, this hands-on 5-day program covers the essential building blocks of establishing and managing a TTO. The course culminates in a mini-project focused on structuring technology transfer deals.
Advanced Workshop on Technology Transfer
Tailored for experienced TTO practitioners, this 2-day interactive workshop emphasizes strategic decision-making, real-world problem-solving, and peer learning. Participants will engage in deep-dive sessions led by global experts.
Both courses will be led by internationally recognized faculty supported by Venture Center team:
- Dr. Ashley Stevens (CLP, RTTP) – President, Focus IP Group; Former President, AUTM
- Dr. Richard Cahoon (CLP, RTTP) – President, BioProperty Strategy Group; Adjunct Professor, Cornell University
- John Fraser (CLP, RTTP) – President, Burnside Development & Associates; Senior Lecturer, WIPO
A special highlight of the training program will be an online address by Chief Guest Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, on 16 June 2025. Prof. Krishnan will share his insights and experiences on innovation in Indian academia and R&D labs, providing valuable perspectives on how institutions can reinvent their innovation strategies to improve outcomes and better serve societal needs.
“Typically, industry prefers well-established technologies,” said Mr. Gerswynn Mckuur, Industrial Development Officer at UNIDO. “However, through FLCTD, we have introduced them to innovative and energy-efficient solutions developed by startups. This has already sparked interest from industry stakeholders and opened the door for potential partnerships.
FLCTD, in collaboration with Venture Centre is working creatively to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem by engage research facilities, laboratories and educational institutes to learn and understand how to contribute to industry’s needs through innovation and reduce energy usage and emissions which we want to achieve in India and beyond.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Premnath, Director of Venture Center, stated: “The strong response to the webinars confirmed the growing interest and urgency around strengthening tech transfer capabilities in India. With the upcoming in-person programs, we aim to deepen that engagement through hands-on learning and stronger peer networks.”
Since its inception, FLCTD (https://www.low-carbon-innovation.org/) has implemented six annual innovation challenges and selected 88 winning innovations for scale-up and commercialization. The technical, financial and business mentoring support provided by FLCTD has resulted in substantial impact in accelerating climate innovation and energy efficiency in India. To date, it has contributed to the mitigation of approximately 2.58 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, enabled over 169 GWh of thermal energy savings, and generated an estimated USD 20.5 million in energy cost reductions. The project has
enabled 140 startups to get mentoring and technical support, provided financial assistance to selected 88 startups for subsequent technology validation, and trained 66 startups through its Accelerator Programme, including 25 women-led enterprises, which in-turn created 680 jobs. The project facilitated the validation of 59 innovative low-carbon technologies and the eventual commercialization of 48 innovative solutions.
Date: 16–20 June 2025
Location: Pune
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About UNIDO:
UNIDO promotes inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) to assist industries of developing countries and economies in transition. In India, UNIDO has extensively cooperated with government agencies to develop policies and institutional frameworks to support entrepreneurship development and has strong partnerships with various industrial and enterprise associations. UNIDO’s programmatic focus over the next few years in India includes a Key Result Area dedicated to ‘Sustainable
and decarbonized manufacturing’.
About Venture Center:
Venture Center is India’s leading inventive enterprises incubator located at CSIR-NCL, Pune. It supports science-based startups by providing incubation, mentoring, and commercialization support across various domains including healthcare, clean tech, and advanced materials.
To learn more about the training programs, visit https://www.techtransfer.online/workshops/
For media inquiries, please contact: Pinky Raychaudhuri at 7028020864 or pinky@venturecenter.co.in
Press Release: EDC/2025/05/26
