My RTTP Journey: Hélia Sales

Hélia is an Innovation Project Manager at the ITQB NOVA Innovation Office, where she combines a background in life sciences with experience managing research and innovation projects and supporting research valorisation. A former LifeArc Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fellow, she is strengthening her competencies in knowledge and technology transfer, innovation programme development and ecosystem capacity building.

“Being recognised as a Candidate RTTP is both a validation of the path I have been building and a motivation to continue growing as a KTT professional. It strengthens my confidence in contributing to research valorisation and innovation capacity building within my institution and the wider ecosystem.”

From science to knowledge transfer

Hélia’s journey began in life sciences. An industry-oriented PhD exposed her early to the interface between scientific research and its practical application, motivating her to move beyond bench research and towards innovation and knowledge transfer.

Today, at ITQB NOVA, she manages R&I&I projects, coordinates multi-stakeholder collaborations, develops competitive funding proposals and supports researchers in translating scientific outputs into innovation opportunities.

Mentoring has played an important role in this transition. Through the LifeArc Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fellowship and support within her institution, Hélia benefited from structured training, international exposure and guidance from experienced practitioners. These experiences helped her consolidate her identity as a knowledge transfer professional and clarify her longer-term ambitions.

“I wanted to formalise the competencies I have been building as I transitioned from scientific research into knowledge and technology transfer. The RTTP pathway provides an internationally recognised structure that aligns with my professional development goals.”

Learning from different perspectives

ASTP has been part of Hélia’s development throughout this journey. She highlights Knowledge Transfer Fundamentals as particularly valuable in providing a structured understanding of core knowledge transfer competencies that she continues to apply in her daily work.

The ASTP Annual Conference has complemented this learning by exposing her to different European approaches to research valorisation, innovation programme design and ecosystem development, while webinars and Tea with ASTP sessions have offered continued opportunities for peer exchange.

Hélia has also complemented her ASTP learning with international training, including the VIB Innovation & Business Summer School and AUTM courses in marketing and negotiation, helping her develop skills across commercialisation, communication, stakeholder engagement and deal-making.

For Hélia, however, no single learning experience prompted her to pursue RTTP. Instead, it was their cumulative effect, combined with the mentoring and international exposure gained through the LifeArc Fellowship, that strengthened her confidence and clarified her professional direction.

Bringing the pieces together

The Candidate RTTP application provided another opportunity to reflect on that development.

Mapping her competencies, training and experience helped Hélia see how her scientific background, project management responsibilities, translational research exposure and mentoring relationships fit together into a coherent professional identity.

“The process was not just an application. It was a moment of career consolidation and strategic clarity.”

It also helped her think about where she wants to develop next, particularly her growing interest in innovation programme development and ecosystem capacity building.

For other ASTP members considering RTTP, Hélia recommends documenting professional development early and combining formal learning with practical experience and interaction with peers.

“Start documenting your learning activities early and engage actively with ASTP programmes. The pathway becomes much clearer when you combine formal training with hands-on experience and peer interaction.”

But for Hélia, the value of the pathway extends beyond meeting the requirements of an application.

“The RTTP process is not only about meeting criteria — it is about understanding your professional trajectory and planning your next steps.”

Candidate RTTP has helped Hélia do exactly that: recognise a journey that began in scientific research and has developed into knowledge transfer and innovation, while providing a clearer sense of where she would like that journey to lead next.