Head of IP & Legal, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
The University of Copenhagen has six faculties, 5,500 researchers, 40,000 students and a turnover of over €1 billion.
IP & Legal has 16 members of staff and is one of three offices in the newly established Innovation & External Partnerships department. The office negotiates all IP-related research agreements between the University and external partners and enters commercial agreements together with the department’s team of business developers. IP & Legal handles invention disclosures, the patenting process and manages the university’s portfolio of licensing agreements, post-deal management activities and related customer relations.
During her +20 years as Head of the University’s Technology Transfer Office, Karen has been involved in large number of activities and initiatives. She was involved in the launch of the University’s Proof-of-Concept programme, in the introduction of the University’s annual Innovation Award and the establishment of UCPH Ventures A/S, a private wholly owned university company investing in UCPH spin-outs.
Karen sits on the steering group of the Danish National Network for Technology Transfer, Innotech. The Danish TTOs work closely together on initiatives such as Nordic Innovation Fair and Spin-outs Denmark, two programmes that Karen has been heavily involved in developing.
From 1992-2002, Karen lived and worked in the United Kingdom where she was employed at the British Council Scotland and later at the University of Glasgow’s commercialisation office, Research & Enterprise. Karen served as president of ASTP from 2009-2011 and has since been involved in voluntary activities, notably as a member of the Programming Committee. She is regularly used as an international expert in various reviews around Europe.