Who are we?
Our goal
TransferTech Sherbrooke's sole purpose is to develop the commercial potential of Université de Sherbrooke and CIUSSS de l'Estrie CHUS inventions with the end goal of impacting society.
From inventions to commercialization,
we are the reference.
What We Care About
Paying attention and collaborating
Proactivity and creativity
Economic development and prosperity
We want to put in place favorable agreements for all parties, in order to build lasting partnerships and contribute to the economic vitality of our ecosystem.
Our Style of Approach
Convinced that being on the field is the best way to make an impact, our team
is continuously in contact with the university ecosystem, economic partners, investors and technology companies.
Valorization is a contact sport.
Numbers and Facts
Commercialization rate*
58%
TransferTech is therefore among the most effective technology transfer offices in North America.
* Technologies transferred to a company/disclosures of inventions
In the last year, TTS, direct efforts granted a total of $5.5 million towards the maturing of 14 institutional inventions.
Our team
Our team combines scientific, legal and commercial expertise, and works closely together to ensure that all development activities run efficiently.
You may reach any member of our team using the following format F.Name@transfertech.ca, ''F'' being the first letter of the first name. In case of a second or middle name, the email address will be as follows, F-S.Name@transfertech.ca, ''F-S'' being the first letters of each of the first and second names.
Michel Lambert
President and CEO
Successful entrepreneur, manager and investor in venture capital companies, Michel has more than twenty years of experience in helping technological companies launch, with tangible results throughout his career.
A natural born leader with a strong ability to challenge, Michel excels in creating value for enterprises, while accompanying entrepreneurs in their business growth, product innovation, process optimization, operational efficiency, intellectual property and human resources management efforts.
Michel is also known for his relational and management skills, his intellectual capacity to analyze complex situations, his ability to come up with constructive solutions and ways to surpass business objectives, his tolerance for risk and his decision-making.
Valérie-Claude Lessard
Lawyer and Director of Partnership Relations and Multidisciplinary Projects
Member of the Quebec Bar, Valérie-Claude also has a certificate in philosophy and a Master’s degree in Common Law and Transnational Law, which complement her civil law education.
Founder and Director of the Clinique Juridique Juripop de l’Estrie, lecturer, entrepreneur and consultant in territory development, Valérie-Claude's expertise and dynamism are now valuable assets which benefit TransferTech greatly.
Through her rigor and her creativity, she ensures the completeness of various legal documents while promoting the quality of business relations with various commercial and institutional partners.
Involved in her community and passionate of business, Valérie-Claude is particularly proud to contribute to the valorization of the technologies issued from the Université de Sherbrooke.
Josianne Vigneault
Director of Projects and Business Development
Generalist having a passion for Management and for Project Management, Josianne is a graduate of the Université de Sherbrooke, having completed the engineering and MBA coop program.
Before discovering technology transfer, she spent 20 years applying her skills and knowledge for the benefit of various sectors of the industry (automotive, medical, transport). Versatile and with a good understanding of operational and strategic issues, she has been actively working since 2017 with inventors and partners to commercialize the inventions from TransferTech's Science and Engineering Portfolio. This portfolio was mobilized to introduce Sherbrooke's invention genius to the market on the international scene, creating a positive impact on the global environment, health and quality of life.
Her versatility, business acumen, knowledge of the technology transfer ecosystem, various financing tools and the management of intellectual property allow her to develop strategies for the go-to-market, to directing innovations towards the right partners and entering into promising exploitation agreements. Having herself founded and operated two companies, she uses her experience and know-how to help spin-off companies from the Portfolio.
Patrice Leclerc
Director of Projects and Business Development
Patrice has more than 12 years of experience in biotechnology and life sciences. Holder of a doctorate from the Université de Sherbrooke, he has worked for more than six years at Tranzyme Pharma Inc., responsible for the development of screening and preclinical validation programs for the compounds of Tranzyme’s R&D portfolio. Since 2012, he is a Coordinator at the Pharmacology Institute of Sherbrooke (IPS), where he is in charge of scientific animation and scientific support to members, by developing networking activities at UdeS and multidisciplinary research projects.
Moreover, Patrice is actively involved in the development of research collaborations and partnerships between IPS research members and various life science companies. Since he was recruited at TransferTech, Patrice is in charge of the development of the Life Sciences Portfolio.
François Nadeau
Director of Projects and Business Development
A graduate of McGill University in mechanical engineering and holder of an MBA from Concordia University, François is back in his native region after a 20-year stay abroad (17 years in the United States and 3 years in England). Having started his career at Nortel in Montreal, the focal point of his work was in project management for the introduction of new products in the high technology sector (software, integrated and printed circuits, systems). François exhibits an undeniable passion for science and technology and he joined the TransferTech team in 2019 to share his experience and know-how to support the company's mission.
Francis Malenfant
Director of Projects and Dusiness Development
With more than five years of experience managing the Sherbrooke Molecular Imaging Center (CIMS) at the Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Francis is passionate about business development and management of high-level scientific organizations. In collaboration with research scientists, he was previously able to implement various financial structures for multiple collaborations and projects with the CIUSSS de l’Estrie, the Quebec Health (MSSS) and Economic (MEI) Ministries and other granting agencies.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, a Master’s in Microbiology and an MBA, Francis describes himself as a generalist with interests in science and business development within multiple domains. Preferring collaborative work, he will always try to find the best common ground for all parties.
Laura Pronovost
Lawyer and Project Manager
Graduate of the Université de Sherbrooke, where she holds a Bachelor’s degree in law and a Master’s in biology, Laura continues her work with the team at TransferTech Sherbrooke as Legal Counsel and Project Manager. Her passion for the world of innovation, coupled with an ever-present implication in the technological field, have led to a marked interest and dedication to entrepreneurs and start-ups in the region.
Both the multidimensional problem resolution aspect of her work and the personalized strategies involved in working in the intellectual property field give Laura the professional satisfaction for which she strives for in all spheres.
Soraya Mahiout
Project Manager
Soraya Mahiout has been working in the field of technology transfer since 2010. She has also worked in the technical-commercial field as a Technical Director at Novartis Agro Services S.A. – Plant Protection, and as a Project Manager for Research and Development at Les Technologies Elcotech Inc.
Soraya holds an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Sciences, a Master’s degree in Advanced Studies from the Université Catholique de Louvain-La-Neuve, and another Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the Université de Sherbrooke.
Through her professional experience and university-level training, Soraya has developed skills in technology transfer, intellectual property, research and analysis, writing, technological watch, and project management.
Philippe Phen
Lawyer and Project Manager
Person in charge of the protection of personal information
Holder of a Bachelor of Laws, with a specialization in life sciences from the Université de Sherbrooke, Philippe is currently completing a Master’s degree in Biology, with a specialization in life sciences and law. As part of the cooperative process, he happily joined the TransferTech Sherbrooke team in May 2019 as an Intern. In addition to his interest in the legal field, Philippe is also self-employed in the audio-visual and web design fields.
Philippe learns very quickly, is passionate about human contact and stands out for his curiosity and resourcefulness. With a strong willingness to help people around him, he ensures that all tasks entrusted to him are done with great care.
France Roy
Administration Coordinator
France obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and a legal Licence from the Quebec Bar. She has worked in the commercial, banking and legal fields. She came back to her hometown in 2004 and has held various positions at the Université de Sherbrooke. Since the foundation of TransferTech Sherbrooke, France has offered her skills and knowledge to the team by being meticulous. She oversees the efficient operation and financial follow-ups of TransferTech's commercial agreements. Her attentiveness to the needs of the team members and other stakeholders is greatly appreciated by all.
Jordan Morissette
Management and Quality Assurance Technician
Jordan, a paralegal who graduated from the Séminaire de Sherbrooke, is passionate about science and customer service. This is why she decided to join TransferTech Sherbrooke a few years ago. She is involved in several committees on a voluntary basis, which allows her to stay informed about the latest innovations. Curious by nature and always wanting to learn more, she is extremely efficient. Jordan loves to help others and hopes to quickly become a person of reference for all projects in which she is involved.
Governing Board
Our partners
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Thomas Martinuzzo
President
ESG and Value Creation
Fonds de solidarité FTQ
Thomas Martinuzzo joined the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ in September 2016 as Senior Investment Advisor in Innovation. Thomas has worked in the field of innovation since 2006. He held several positions at Gestion Univalor, s.e.c, where he notably led the team of professionals in charge of commercializing the physical sciences and engineering inventions of Université de Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal in addition to affiliated hospital research centres. Mr. Martinuzzo also founded eValorix.com, a web platform that commercializes digital tools arising out of public research. He also served on the board of directors of several start-up companies (Bâton Simulations inc. and Ortho Regenerative Technologies inc.) and is currently a director of Castor Optics