A Innovation Agency of the State University of Campinas (Inova Unicamp) concluded, in the first semester of 2026, the first edition of the Knowledge and Innovation Path (IN001) courseThe inaugural class comprised 53 approved students, linked to postgraduate programs from more than ten units of Unicamp and five Large Research Centers from the University, interested in Understanding the strategic use of intellectual property (IP) as a tool for innovation....generating new partnerships and new business opportunities.
The discipline was created in conjunction with Dean of Postgraduate Studies (PRPG) of Unicamp to facilitate the adherence of Unicamp programs to Graduate Enhancement Program (PAPG) from CAPES and FAPESP, which requires the offering of training tracks in innovation and entrepreneurship. According to Professor Renato Lopes, executive director of Inova Unicamp and coordinator of the new discipline, the Innovation Agency and PRPG decided to take on this front together so that Unicamp's programs can adhere to PAPG in a more structured way, removing the need for each program to create its own training track.
“We had a very high participation rate in the course, and the business models presented in the final presentation were surprisingly mature. Many of them are already ready to join the Unicamp Technology-Based Business Incubator. Patents may have emerged from the discussions and development of these projects. It was a very enriching experience in which the students truly embraced this opportunity,” assesses the professor.
According to Professor Cláudia Vianna Maurer Morelli, Pro-Rector of Graduate Studies at Unicamp, the expansion of the IN001 course – Paths of Knowledge and Innovation, resulting from the partnership between Inova and PRPG, represents an important step forward in the training of graduate students at the University.
“In addition to integrating the actions of the Graduate Studies Improvement Program (PAPG), the discipline provides transversal training, bringing together students from different programs and areas of knowledge around innovation themes. This was a successful partnership and we hope to expand it. This synergy fostered interdisciplinarity, broadened the exchange of experiences, and contributed to the training of masters and doctoral students better prepared to work in an increasingly collaborative and dynamic research and innovation environment,” summarizes Morelli.
A The course was offered as an elective and integrated into the official Unicamp calendar.The course, open to all postgraduate students, consisted of 60 hours of instruction divided between in-person classes and directed study. The closing ceremony was marked by a presentation of... pitches In front of a final panel, participants demonstrated in practice the knowledge they had built up throughout the semester.
The program was structured around four pillars. The first presented the uses of IP in technology-based businesses. The second addressed asset protection strategies, prior art searches, and invention disclosure, with practical exercises. The third explored negotiation dynamics and the transformation of research into businesses through asset commercialization. The fourth led participants to a startup creation workshop, applying the Canvas model and pitch presentation techniques.
Participants highlight integrated training.
For those who participated, the experience met expectations. Juan Fernando Galindo Jaramillo, a postdoctoral researcher in Executive Research Management, Postdoctoral Researcher Program (PPPD), no Center for Energy and Petroleum Studies (CEPETRO) highlighted the integrated nature of the content. “It is a discipline that focuses on aspects that are very much geared towards deeptech and for entrepreneurship "It stems from academic research, something that, when you're looking for this type of support for a startup, is very difficult to find in such a complete and integrated way," he says.
This perception was shared by Davi Pincinato, a master's student in Computer Science, at Institute of Computing (IC) from Unicamp, focusing on artificial intelligence, who decided to return from the corporate market to the university. For him, the The discipline offered a solid foundation for those who do not yet have experience in the innovation ecosystem."Inova has always been an institution I was curious to learn more about. The experience was very positive in the sense that it provided a solid foundation for taking what is normally shelved in research and bringing it to a real-world application," she describes.
A Interdisciplinarity was also highlighted as a differentiating factor.Roberta Steganha, currently undertaking postdoctoral research in Research Management, Postdoctoral Researcher Program (PPPD), no SMARTNESS Engineering Research CenterIn the area of education and knowledge dissemination, she highlighted the value of contact between researchers from different fields. “I met colleagues from the pharmaceutical, dental, and physical education fields, and they all brought a different and very rich perspective. When you start doing research, you often become very closed off in your own world. This was a chance to step outside the fence and see things differently,” she says.
“The students’ feedback shows that the course was very positive, mainly due to the knowledge covered and the broadening of their vision regarding innovation and the practical application of their research. Another point they highlighted was the cross-disciplinary nature of the course, which provides rich interaction between students from various programs,” comments Vera Crósta, advisor to the director of Inova Unicamp.
For Lopes, the impact of the discipline It goes beyond individual training and points to a structural effect on Brazilian postgraduate education.“Entrepreneurship is an important way to make postgraduate studies more attractive. When researchers realize that their work can become a business, generate a sustainable solution, create jobs, and contribute to the country's development, it completely changes their relationship with research itself. Inova and PRPG are directly contributing to this transformation,” says the executive director of Unicamp's Innovation Agency.
The course expands on the results of Unicamp's partnership with INPI.
The creation of IN001 is a continuation of the results of a technical cooperation agreement. signed between Unicamp and National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) in 2022. The experience gained with the Inova em Ação program, whose Knowledge Trail editions took place in 2024 and 2025, served as a basis for consolidating the discipline in the official postgraduate curriculum.
A Unicamp is the university that files the most patents in the state of São Paulo. and the third largest filer in the country, according to INPI. Furthermore, it was elected the most entrepreneurial university Brazil's ranking according to the IESE 2025 index, developed by the Brazilian Confederation of Junior Enterprises.
A IN001 is the second course directly taught by the Technological Innovation Center (NIT) at Unicamp. This complements the offering of the Intellectual Property, Innovation and Entrepreneurship course, which has been active since 2008. Together, these initiatives reinforce Inova Unicamp's commitment to training researchers prepared to transform knowledge into solutions for society and national industry, promoting innovation and social, economic and environmental development.
About Inova Unicamp
The Innovation Agency of the State University of Campinas (Inova Unicamp) is the The Technological Innovation Center (NIT) at Unicamp serves all campuses.Created in 2003, the Agency supports the protection of intellectual property, technology transfer, and the consolidation of research, development, and innovation agreements between Unicamp and the business sector. Inova Unicamp is also responsible for managing the Unicamp Science and Technology Park and the Incubator of Technology-Based Companies (Incamp).
