The Asset Evaluation & Commercial Licensing Group (AECL) at the DKFZ Innovation Management supports driving the translation of scientific excellence into commercial and societal impact. The group led by Dirk Kuck specializes in the economic and strategic evaluation of assets e.g. inventions, technologies, and clinical studies — particularly those conducted within DKTK, NCT, Hector, and HITRON frameworks — assessing their market potential, applicability, and commercial strength. In addition, the group leads the drafting, negotiation, and management of IP-related industry agreements, including Material Transfer Agreements (MTA), Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDA), license contracts, collaborative research agreements and contract research.
With a clear focus on Intellectual Property and its successful commercialization, the group supports DKFZ researchers to unlock the real-world potential of their assets. It provides targeted support for securing validation and translational funding through selected programs such as ERC Proof-of-Concept, Go-Bio, VIP+, EXIST, relevant Helmholtz initiatives, and the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung. Activities centered on scientific or strategic research collaborations, operational project management, or spin-off creation are coordinated by other dedicated DKFZ units.
In the year 2025, the group comprised 3,74 FTE and has processed 250 contracts (e.g. 87 CDAs, 50 MTAs, 37 License agreements, 30 cooperation agreements), performed 40 asset evaluations of inventions and patent applications, assessed 53 grant applications and clinical study proposals.
Through its work, the group contributes to strengthening the DKFZ innovation pipeline, advancing the translation of research results, and fostering dynamic, value-driven partnerships with industry.
