Hamburg wants to introduce standardised spin-off contracts at universities
The Hamburg Parliament recently voted in favour of a motion by the governing SPD and Green Party factions to create uniform and modular contract standards for science-based startup spin-offs. The aim is to make the transfer of intellectual property, licensing regulations and participation models transparent, legally secure and cross-university in the future.
The goal: more certainty, lesser costs
The Hamburg Innovation GmbH was commissioned to work with state universities to develop a model contract. In addition, ways to ease the financial burden on startups in the early stages are to be examined. The motion states, among other things: "The path from a promising idea to a successful spin-off is often rocky, and a major obstacle is the lack of binding contractual regulations for knowledge-based foundings. Each university uses its own contractual procedures to regulate intellectual property licences, use of know-how or participation models. For university members interested in starting a business, this can lead to a lack of transparency, delays and a high degree of legal uncertainty. Similarly, high prices for patents or excessive licence fees can limit the financial scope of young companies, making them less attractive to potential investors."
The motion goes on to say: "Against this backdrop, there is a need to develop uniform and standardised spin-off contracts. Modular contract components are particularly useful in order to meet the diverse requirements and different constellations involved in spin-offs. A modular structure allows contract components to be combined depending on the situation without having to negotiate a completely new contract for each individual case. Innovation-friendly regulations should also be established for the period after the official founding. For example, access to laboratories, technical infrastructure and special equipment should be maintained without having to pay immediate usage or licence fees." Finally, the Senate is requested to report to the Parliament on the implementation of the motion by 30 June 2026.
