You are probably a knowledge valorisation intermediary... and you don't know it yet!

Probably you are, and you don't even know it. We know the term is not particularly sexy, but keep reading because this directly concerns many ASTP members.

Knowledge valorisation intermediaries play a vital role in the innovation journey, bridging research results with market, policy and society uptake. They facilitate interactions between different research and innovation actors, help translate needs and opportunities between the supply and demand sides of innovation, and support the translation of research results into concrete solutions. In practice, many ASTP members are already performing these functions - even if they have never used the term "knowledge valorisation intermediary" to describe their work

According to the European Commission, intermediaries come in many different forms and perform a wide range of functions across the innovation ecosystem. They include knowledge and technology transfer professionals, incubators, science parks, national and regional innovation hubs, clusters, intellectual property specialists, innovation consultants, science communication professionals, policy engagement teams, knowledge-for-policy organisations, science advice organisations and citizen engagement professionals.

What these actors have in common is their ability to connect people, organisations, expertise and opportunities. They facilitate the movement of knowledge between academia, industry, policymakers and society, turning research results into societal and economic value.

Towards a Competence Framework for Knowledge Valorisation intermediaries

The European Commission increasingly recognises that strong research and innovation systems require capable intermediary organisations and effective support structures. Excellent research alone is not enough to create value. There must also be organisations and professionals capable of translating knowledge into real impact.

For this reason, the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027 includes an action aimed at strengthening the capacity of knowledge valorisation intermediaries and reinforcing the links between academia, industry, public authorities and society.

As part of this work, the European Commission has launched an initiative to better understand the roles, functions, activities and competencies of knowledge valorisation intermediaries across Europe. The objective is to create a stronger evidence base that can support capacity building and contribute to the development of a competence framework for knowledge valorisation intermediaries. This initiative builds on previous work carried out by the European Commission on the Research Managers Competence Framework. However, there is an important difference between the two. While the Research Managers framework focuses primarily on the skills and competencies of individual professionals, the proposed framework for knowledge valorisation intermediaries looks at the organisational level. The objective is not only to understand who does what, but also what organisations need to effectively support knowledge valorisation. In other words, the focus shifts from individual competencies to institutional capacities. What structures, services, capabilities and functions need to be in place to help organisations connect research, innovation, policy, industry and society? This is one of the key questions the European Commission is currently exploring.

To support this work, the European Commission recently launched a public survey and organised a workshop aimed at mapping the roles, activities and competencies of knowledge valorisation intermediaries. Key takeaways from the interactive session include:

• Intermediaries act as bridges across the R&I ecosystem;
• Intermediaries interact and form a dynamic ecosystem of complementary services, and R&I actors need better guidance where to go for support;
• Intermediaries’ competencies are role-specific but share common foundations;
• Further competency development through practice and education is needed

Learn more about the workshop outcome here.

Want to be part of this process? Here is how you can shape the future framework

The next step will be the creation of a European Community of Practice that will contribute to the future development of the competence framework. This represents an important opportunity for professionals and organisations working in knowledge valorisation to help shape a European initiative that is likely to influence future capacity-building activities and policy developments. You can find more information and express your interest until the 15th of September here.

Why is this important for ASTP members?

This initiative is particularly important for ASTP, as it places knowledge valorisation intermediaries at the centre of the European innovation ecosystem, supporting the recognition, visibility, and professionalisation of Knowledge Transfer. It is also closely linked to the Alliance for Knowledge Valorisation (ALL4KV) project, a Horizon Europe initiative coordinated by ASTP that will bring together and strengthen the European community of knowledge valorisation intermediaries from October 2026 onwards.

ALL4KV aims to establish a coordinated European ecosystem of knowledge valorisation intermediaries. Rather than creating another network, the project seeks to connect, align and strengthen existing organisations and initiatives working across the knowledge valorisation landscape. While the Commission’s initiative is looking at what knowledge valorisation intermediaries need in terms of roles, functions and organisational capacities, ALL4KV will provide a practical European community and set of tools through which these organisations can connect, learn and collaborate.

The project will develop tools, resources, training opportunities, collaboration mechanisms and sustainable structures that help intermediary organisations connect academia, industry, policymakers and society more effectively.

In many ways, the European Commission's work on the competence framework and the ALL4KV initiative are complementary.

So, if you are an ASTP member, you probably don't need convincing that you are a knowledge valorisation intermediary. You have been connecting research with industry, policymakers and society for years. What may be new is the label, and the fact that Europe is now looking more systematically at the organisations, functions and capabilities behind this work.

This is an opportunity for ASTP and its members to help shape that process, strengthen the recognition and professionalisation of our field, and ensure that the future European framework reflects the reality of knowledge valorisation in practice.And the good news is that Europe is starting to recognise just how important your role really is.