2. Motivation
Organizational knowledge is an asset, built over time and evolving all the time.
Intergovernmental Organizations can create tangible value for Member States
(and improve their public image) through Knowledge and Technology Transfer.
Example: applications of CERN technologies to medical imaging
How to manage knowledge in order to facilitate technology transfer?
UNOG Library Talks, Geneva, 06/05/2011
3. Knowledge Valorization (1/3)
How can we make the most of organizational knowledge?
Road Map to knowledge management:
1. Sketch a map of your knowledge landscape, identifying those domains
which are most relevant to the organization’s mission.
2. Assess to what extent knowledge is explicit, i.e. recorded in documents
(scientific publications, patents, manuals, etc.) as opposed to implicit
knowledge (in people’s minds).
3. Identify all communities which could potentially benefit from access to
your knowledge (in‐house personnel, industry, general public, …)
UNOG Library Talks, Geneva, 06/05/2011
4. Knowledge Valorization (2/3)
Semantics: define a suitable knowledge representation scheme (ontology) which
can record in a structured framework all the key features of your knowledge, e.g.
Knowledge domains In‐house applications Industrial applications
UNOG Library Talks, Geneva, 06/05/2011
5. Knowledge Valorization (3/3)
(Automatically) classify documents into the ontology:
• What is the knowledge domain?
• What are the in‐house applications?
• What are the potential industrial applications?
Knowledge domains In‐house applications Industrial applications
UNOG Library Talks, Geneva, 06/05/2011
6. Knowledge Catalogue
Deliverable: a searchable knowledge catalogue which different communities can
query and browse according to different criteria…..
In‐house view Industry view
UNOG Library Talks, Geneva, 06/05/2011
7. Current project: ATLAS @ CERN
Pilot project towards an ATLAS Technology Applications Catalogue.
Goal: enable industry to browse ATLAS’ know‐how and identify opportunities for
Technology Transfer and joint R&D projects.
UNOG Library Talks, Geneva, 06/05/2011
8. More on ontologies
Ontologies are modular structures
Can begin by modelling a knowledge sub‐domain (pilot project),
later enlarge the scope, and then connect the two ontologies.
Ontologies can evolve over time
Whenever new industrial applications are identified, these can
be added into the ontology.
UNOG Library Talks, Geneva, 06/05/2011
