Several "start-ups" companies have been initiated at INESC-ID by researchers and ex-students over the past five years. In these cases INESC-ID has converted Intelectual Property Rights (IPR) into start-up equity. It is also an interesting indicator of our industrial/technology impact. The start-ups are the following:

		VoiceInteraction was founded in 2008 by researchers from the Spoken Language Systems Lab of INESC-ID , following the work developed in TECNOVOZ, a technology transfer project funded by the Portuguese Innovation Agency (AdI). Based on a solid background of R&D, VoiceInteraction offers innovative solutions in the area of speech processing. Their solutions are based on speech recognition, speech synthesis, 3D facial animation, and spoken dialogue systems technologies. The applications cover different areas: subtitling systems for RTP (public national TV broadcaster), media clipping, dictation systems for hospitals, spoken dialogue systems for kiosks in monuments.
		PETsys, SA was established in 2008 to exploit the results of a research project, started in 2003, on PET (positron emission tomography) systems for mammography. The shareholders are 5 institutions, and 15 individuals that participated in the project, together with a Belgium business angel. PETsys has acquired the rights to use the internationally patented PET scanner technology that allows early cancer detection with higher resolution (1-2 mm against 5-10 mm) and higher sensitivity (x10) than with standard devices.
		SiliconGate operates in the field of microelectronics and develops and licences high performance Power Management blocks that are key elements in any mobile equipment. Funded in 2008, SiliconGate brought together the experience of senior designers from Industry with the research expertise of an INESC-ID research group. Recently, Wolfson Microelectronics plc, a global leader in high-performance mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for the consumer electronics market, has selected SiliconGate to provide high-performance power management IP in a four year contract.
		Coreworks, founded in 2001 by two researchers of INESC-ID, is a provider of Semiconductor Intellectual Property (SIP) for multi-standard multimedia and communications applications, such as digital television, internet protocol television (IPTV), portable audio players, mobile Internet devices, and software defined radio. Their products have been implemented in a wide variety of technologies, for more than 30 customers worldwide. The company received an A-series investment round from Espírito Santo Ventures in 2006.
		NWC Network Concept, Lda was founded in 2008. It had origin in a joint project by Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) and INESC-ID to develop a software multi-services platform, Kelius. Kelius integrates all the services in residential or professional environments, including Internet, video surveillance, television, and telephone. The control is performed through an interface implemented in a computer or in a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The new methods and techniques behind this platform are patented.

The objective of INESC-ID Affiliates Program (AP) is to increase the dialogue between industry, research and academia. The program should span across all INESC-ID's laboratories and research areas and is targeted towards both Academic and Industrial Organizations.

	The ACADEMIC component of the Affiliates Program aims to formalize the different forms of cooperation that INESC-ID has established with Universities and Institutes. This enables technical staff to conduct research and receive advanced training at INESC-ID.
	The INDUSTRIAL members of the Affiliates Program can use this special relation to promote research activities in particular problems that they face. This close relationship will hopefully lead into the establishment of research projects that can be supported directly by the affiliate institution or by National or European funding agencies.

The program can also be used by companies to hire personnel with specialized skills that will contribute to the necessary technology transfer. INESC-ID is a certified non-profit research institution and the participation of Portuguese companies in this Program can also take advantage of the tax benefits provided by the "Mecenato Científico" Law.
For detailed information please contact: affiliates@inesc-id.pt