The novel technologies and expertise developed at CERN can be applied to fields other than high-energy physics. World Intellectual Property Day, observed annually on 26 April, is an opportunity to highlight how intellectual property (IP) is at the core of transferring unique CERN knowledge to its industrial and institutional partners, from large, long-standing companies to recent start-ups.
In order to share its knowledge, CERN encourages the creation of spin-offs - companies based, partially or wholly, on CERN technologies - and has adopted a dedicated spin-off policy in 2018. One such company is PlanetWatch. Founded in 2020, this spin-off bases its air-quality data-analysis activities on C2MON, a data-acquisition framework developed at CERN.
CERN also offers special licensing opportunities to promote the use of CERN technology in existing start-ups. These technologies range from innovative detector technologies to complex software, from radiation-hardened components to robotic platforms. As Marco Silari, section leader in the Radiation Protection group, explains "CERN technology can become much more than originally planned". Together with his team, he developed several detector technologies
