6 REASONS TO JOIN ODIN AS A COMPANY
ODIN projects are inspired by unmet medical needs and industrial challenges, co-created by both companies and university researchers. Below are some of the key reasons to join ODIN as a company:
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EASE OF COLLABORATION – ODIN offers a faster and more efficient way to enter academic collaborations. Since ODIN projects are precompetitive, there are no IP negotiations and less red tape. Before starting an ODIN project, all participants must sign a non-negotiable Project Agreement, which was pre-approved by ODIN’s founding companies and partner universities to ensure smooth collaboration. You can find the agreement under "About ODIN" on our website.
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SCOUT NEW TECHNOLOGIES & ACCESS NEW RESOURCES – ODIN allows you to stay up to date with cutting-edge academic research while also providing opportunities to access clinical materials and other resources that you may have difficulty accessing in the private sector.
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SOURCE INPUT & FIND PARTNERS – ODIN enables you to address unsolved challenges in your company’s R&D through needs-driven, precompetitive research. We help you identify the right input and partners—free of charge.
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DE-RISK WILD IDEAS – ODIN provides a space for exploratory R&D and long-term knowledge-building, allowing you to engage in high-risk, high-reward projects that complement or extend your internal research efforts. Since ODIN covers the costs of the academic component of the research, your company can become involved at a much earlier stage with little financial risk.
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ACCESS NEW TALENT – While ODIN projects are led by associate or full-professors at the top of their fields, they also involve non-tenured researchers who may be considering a future career in industry—giving your company early exposure to top talent.
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BUILD STRATEGIC NETWORKS & CONTRIBUTE TO INDUSTRY ADVANCEMENT – Form valuable cross-sector collaborations with researchers, other companies, and healthcare institutions while supporting knowledge sharing that strengthens the entire ecosystem, driving industry-wide advancements in drug discovery and diagnostics.
In ODIN, there's no fighting over legal stuff. We use the same pre-negotiated project agreements for all funded projects. With our no-IP model, there is no need for IP negotiations.
"ODIN is not just for big pharma companies. There are also several reasons for joining ODIN as an SME. From the ODIN pilot project we know that it is an opportunity to showcase and develop your skills and expand your network at the same time. You will increase your visibility to both new collaborators and potential clients."
Marie Louise Conradsen, Head of ODIN
ADDITIONAL REASONS FOR SMEs TO JOIN ODIN
ODIN is not just a platform for large pharma and diagnostics companies. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ODIN is an opportunity to engage in collaborative R&D despite limited internal resources. SMEs can:
- SHOWCASE & DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS/TOOLS – By being part of ODIN, you can showcase and hone specialized skills and service offerings (which ODIN SMEs often describe as a key competitive parameter, usually more important than IP). You may also increase the technology readiness level or prove new capabilities within your product pipeline.
- EXPAND YOUR NETWORK – Increase your visibility and access new collaborators and potential clients.
- DE-RISK RESEARCH COLLABORATION – You can engage in collaborative R&D by tapping into a larger research project and academic resources/materials that you couldn't otherwise access. The academic portion of the research is covered by the ODIN grant, and you don't have to provide cash funding, only in-kind contributions that your company can afford.
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ODIN
Companies can also become part of the ODIN platform to strengthen networking and/or stay up-to-date on the progress of ODIN projects. If you are considering taking part in ODIN, here are a few things you should know:
- EVERYONE IS WELCOME – The focus area of ODIN is drug discovery and new diagnostics for human health. If this topic is relevant to your company, you are welcome to join us irrespective of your geografical location and interest areas
- NO MEMBERSHIP FEES OR CASH REQUIREMENTS – Your company does not have to invest anything but time to be part of the ODIN platform on WorldLabs. On the platform you can post your company's ideas or challenges and also scout ideas posted by others that may be relevant for your company. If you agree to participate in an ODIN project, contributions are in-kind (such as intellectual contributions, access to select technology platforms, materials, facilities etc.)
- NO PROJECT FUNDING FOR COMPANIES – ODIN only funds the participation of non-profit organisations in our projects (e.g. academia, hospitals). This is due to the terms and conditions of our grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which does not support for-profit organisations. However, academic researchers (e.g. postdocs) may be seconded to your facilities when it makes sense within the project scope.
- OPENNESS IS KEY – If your company would like to participate in an ODIN project relevant to you, you must be able to collaborate in an open setting. This means that all foreground knowledge created during the funded research projects will be shared openly and without IP with the public as per our Project Agreement. We will of course not share any background knowledge, and your company is free to pursue any innovation potential that you see within the open results. You can find our legal framework on our online platform.
- COLLABORATION PARTNERS REQUIRED – In ODIN you can collaborate with researchers and companies from around the world. The only requirement is that there is at least one associate or full-professor at one of our 5 partner universities as main applicant in the project.
Below you will find the link to our online platform, where you can register to become part of ODIN.
The project participants share the risk in high-risk/high-gain projects.
