Filling the Translational Gap
On 12 September 2025, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced a call for applications for the ASEAN Lab-to-Market (L2M) Programme 2025–2026, an initiative designed to bridge the research translational gap in Southeast Asian countries by equipping technology transfer professionals (TTPs) with the skills and mentoring needed to commercialise intellectual property.
The programme, funded by the Republic of Korea through its Funds-in-Trust for Industrial Property (FIT/ROK/IP), targets knowledge and technology transfer practitioners working in universities and public research institutions across the ten ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Applications were open until 1 October 2025, with successful applicants notified by email thereafter.
A Three-Phase Architecture
The L2M Programme is structured around three sequential phases, each building on the previous to move participants from foundational training through applied mentoring to public showcase:
Phase 1: Training and Networking
Up to 40 selected participants will attend in-person ATTP-accredited training focused on IP and market strategy, held in conjunction with the Thailand Innovation Policy Forum in November 2025. WIPO will cover travel and accommodation costs for up to 12 selected participants. The training covers:
- IP Landscaping — mapping patent and IP landscapes to identify white space and competitive positioning
- Freedom to Operate (FtO) — assessing whether a product or process can be commercialised without infringing existing IP rights
- Market Research — identifying and validating market opportunities for IP-based innovations
- IP Audit — systematic review of an institution's IP assets and gaps
- IP Strategy — developing institutional strategies that align IP assets with market opportunities
Phase 2: Mentoring
Up to 12 selected projects will receive one-on-one mentoring support with expert technology commercialisation mentors for up to nine months. Applicants must present an existing project proposal from their institution's technology transfer office (TTO) to be eligible for this phase.
Selected participants will be invited to a 30-minute diagnostic interview with a member of the Oxentia team, which serves as both an initial project assessment and a mentor-project matching exercise. Participants will also complete a needs assessment questionnaire to tailor the mentoring to their specific challenges.
Phase 3: Final Event
All participants will be invited to attend a final online showcase event, providing a platform to present their projects, share lessons learned, and connect with potential partners and investors across the ASEAN innovation ecosystem.
The Delivery Partner: Oxentia
Both the training and mentoring phases will be delivered by Oxentia Ltd, an innovation management consultancy based in Oxford, United Kingdom. Oxentia has worked with clients in more than 70 countries and brings specific ASEAN experience from Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia, working with local governments and UK partners.
This partnership with an experienced commercialisation consultancy ensures that the curriculum reflects real-world technology transfer practice rather than theoretical frameworks. Oxentia's involvement also provides participants with connections to international innovation networks beyond the ASEAN region.
The ATTP Accreditation Dimension
The training phase is accredited by the Alliance of Technology Transfer Professionals (ATTP), a global non-profit that sets international standards for technology transfer and knowledge exchange. ATTP oversees professional accreditation, including the Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) accreditation, and promotes global collaboration and best practice sharing.
ATTP accreditation means that participants who complete the L2M training will receive internationally recognised credit toward professional technology transfer qualifications — a significant career advancement opportunity for TTPs in ASEAN institutions where formal professional development pathways in technology transfer are often limited.
The ASEAN Technology Transfer Context
The L2M Programme addresses a well-documented challenge in ASEAN innovation ecosystems: the gap between research output and commercial application. While several ASEAN countries have significantly increased their R&D investments — Singapore's gross expenditure on R&D exceeds 2% of GDP, and Malaysia has set a target of 3% by 2030 — the region's technology transfer infrastructure remains uneven.
Common challenges across ASEAN TTOs include:
- Limited professional training pathways for technology transfer staff
- Underdeveloped IP commercialisation expertise within universities
- Weak industry-academia linkages that limit market pull for research outputs
- Insufficient mentoring and peer learning networks across the region
- Fragmented patent and IP landscapes that complicate freedom-to-operate assessments
The L2M Programme directly targets several of these gaps by combining accredited training, real-project mentoring, and cross-border networking.
South Korea's Strategic Role
The programme's funding through South Korea's Funds-in-Trust for Industrial Property reflects a broader pattern of Korean engagement with ASEAN innovation capacity building. South Korea has been an active WIPO contributor through its FIT mechanism, supporting programmes that strengthen IP systems and technology transfer capabilities in developing regions.
WIPO's Expanding Technology Transfer Portfolio
The L2M Programme is part of WIPO's broader technology transfer work, which includes:
- WIPO MATCH — a platform connecting technology seekers with technology providers
- Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) — providing access to technology information and IP services in developing countries
- Institutional capability frameworks — developed through WIPO's Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP)
- Regional workshops and side events — including sessions at the WIPO General Assembly on institutional capability
During Q3 2025, WIPO also conducted workshops strengthening IP ecosystems in the Dominican Republic and the CATI-CARD region (August 2025), and hosted a side event at the WIPO General Assembly on institutional capability frameworks (July 2025).
Looking Ahead
The L2M Programme's outcomes will be measured not only by the number of TTPs trained but by the commercialisation results of the 12 mentored projects. If successful, the model — accredited training combined with extended project-based mentoring and funder-backed travel support — could be replicated in other regions where the lab-to-market gap remains a binding constraint on innovation-driven development.
For ASEAN's university-based innovators, the programme represents a rare opportunity to access international-grade commercialisation expertise without leaving their institutional context — building capacity where it is most needed, at the interface between laboratory research and market deployment.
Sources:
- WIPO, "Call for Applications: WIPO-ASEAN Lab-to-Market (L2M) Program 2025–2026," 12 September 2025
- WIPO Technology Transfer Portal
- Alliance of Technology Transfer Professionals (ATTP), accreditation standards
- Oxentia Ltd, company profile and ASEAN project portfolio
- WIPO Funds-in-Trust / Republic of Korea programme documentation
FIRAT Editorial Board
Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
