{"id":173133,"date":"2026-04-24T16:22:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T22:22:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=173133"},"modified":"2026-04-24T16:22:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T22:22:49","slug":"from-patent-to-market-how-to-bring-science-from-the-lab-to-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/business-innovation\/from-patent-to-market-how-to-bring-science-from-the-lab-to-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"From Patent to Market: How to Bring Science from the Lab to Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Securing a patent<\/a> might seem like the final step after years of research, but in reality, it\u2019s only the beginning of the journey toward making a real-world impact. From that point on, the process of technology transfer begins, aiming to turn knowledge into tangible applications that can reach the marketplace<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joel Cano, director of Technology Transfer at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey. Photo: Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Joel Cano<\/a>, director of Technology Transfer<\/a> at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey, explains that while a patent helps protect the knowledge generated in the lab and grants rights over its use, it does not determine how that knowledge will be applied or in which contexts it will deliver the greatest value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe patent is just the first step in a journey that must be approached from both a scientific and technological perspective,\u201d Cano says. A patent gives you the right to use that technology<\/a>, but the work of developing its applications still lies ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From One Patent to Multiple Applications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) grants a patent, the next step for researchers is to determine the scope of their innovation and what can actually be done with it. A single invention can give rise to multiple applications across different solutions and industries, depending on how it is developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Cano notes that a patent<\/a> for a chaotic printing device developed by researchers at the \u00c1lvarez-Trujillo Lab is being used by Forma Foods<\/a>, a science- and technology-based company<\/a> from Tec focused on innovating in the food industry. At the same time, it also holds promise for the healthcare sector, with the potential to print tumors that could be used to test treatments in the lab rather than on patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust as we can print meat from plant-based proteins for consumption, we can also print tumors to test drugs; it\u2019s the same technology with entirely different applications,\u201d Cano explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds that, in this sense, researchers must ask themselves\u2014and carefully explore\u2014which applications may hold the greatest value or appeal in a specific market. Even after this analysis, a patent can serve as a technological platform for the emergence of innovations that may also be patented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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