My RTTP Journey: Olga Kusanova

When Olga Kusanova first considered applying for Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) recognition, her career looked different from that of many practitioners. 

Working in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), her role focused on supporting governments, universities and innovation stakeholders in developing intellectual property policies, practical tools and capacity-building programmes that strengthen innovation ecosystems and help bring innovations to market. Earlier roles with the WTO, ITC and UNDP had also given her a broad understanding of the international trade, innovation and development landscape in which knowledge transfer takes place. 

Rather than asking whether her experience fitted a traditional knowledge transfer career, Olga saw RTTP as an opportunity to benchmark her professional contribution against an internationally recognised standard.

"My career in technology transfer has followed a different path from that of many RTTP practitioners, and I wanted to know whether the contribution I had made through international capacity-building and ecosystem development would be recognised alongside more traditional knowledge transfer paths." 

Learning and growing in knowledge transfer

When Olga joined WIPO's Technology Transfer Section in 2021, she began learning the profession by working alongside experienced colleagues and external experts. Through her work, she gained first-hand experience of how WIPO supports institutions to develop intellectual property policies, create spin-offs, commercialise research and strengthen their knowledge transfer capacity.

As her experience grew, and with her supervisor's encouragement to pursue RTTP, Olga was entrusted with leading several initiatives that she had proposed. These opportunities enabled her to demonstrate and further develop the professional competencies that would ultimately lead to RTTP recognition.

Choosing the Candidate pathway 

Instead of applying directly for RTTP, Olga first became a Candidate RTTP in October 2024. For her, the Candidate pathway was much more than a stepping stone—it became a structured framework for professional growth. 

Through the Career Aspiration Plan, she mapped her experience against the RTTP competencies, identified areas for further development and deliberately built those competencies over time before achieving full RTTP recognition. 

"Becoming an RTTP Candidate first encouraged me to develop my competencies deliberately over time rather than simply document my experience. That made achieving RTTP feel less like receiving a credential and more like reaching an important milestone in my professional development." 

Learning through the international community 

Although Olga pursued RTTP independently, she says ASTP had its greatest influence through its international community.

Supporting the WIPO–AUTM International Knowledge and Technology Transfer Leadership Summits gave her the opportunity to engage with ASTP representatives and leaders from knowledge transfer associations around the world. 

"Those discussions broadened my understanding of the profession, its advocacy and its future, reinforced the importance of shared professional standards, and demonstrated the value of international collaboration in advancing the field." 

For Olga, these exchanges highlighted that knowledge transfer is a global profession built on collaboration, shared expertise and common professional standards. 

RTTP as an international benchmark 

Achieving RTTP recognition confirmed that Olga's experience had been assessed against the same rigorous international standards applied to practitioners worldwide.

"Professionally, RTTP is independent recognition that my experience has been assessed against the highest international professional standard for knowledge and technology transfer practitioners. Knowing that it met the same rigorous criteria applied to every applicant gives me confidence that I am contributing to the profession in a meaningful way." 

Her experience also reinforced an important message for others considering RTTP: there is no single career path into the profession. 

"Technology transfer is much broader than the traditional technology transfer office. RTTP recognises demonstrated competence and professional contribution, not a particular job title. Whether you work in a university, industry, government or an international organisation, there are many ways to contribute to the profession." 

Advice for future RTTP applicants 

For ASTP members considering RTTP, Olga recommends viewing the Candidate pathway as an opportunity for structured professional development rather than simply a preliminary stage. 

"My advice is to consider becoming an RTTP Candidate first. The value of the Candidate route was having a framework that helped me identify the experience I still needed and deliberately seek out opportunities to develop it." 

She also encourages members to make the most of professional learning opportunities. For those whose organisations support their professional development, she recommends taking advantage of ASTP's courses, while recognising that there are different routes to achieving the same professional standard.

"For those whose organisations support their professional development, I would absolutely recommend taking advantage of ASTP's courses. They provide structured learning, opportunities to earn CE points and, just as importantly, the chance to learn alongside experienced practitioners from across Europe."

For those pursuing RTTP independently, her advice is equally clear: stay connected to the profession, plan your professional development over time and make use of the range of ATTP-recognised learning opportunities available internationally.

"The path may look different, but the professional standard you are working towards is exactly the same."