Document background
The Letter of Intent for Research Collaboration is a crucial preliminary document used when research organizations, academic institutions, or companies plan to engage in joint research activities but need to formalize their intentions before developing a comprehensive collaboration agreement. This document, governed by Swiss law, serves as a strategic tool to outline the proposed collaboration's scope, objectives, and basic terms while maintaining legal flexibility. It typically precedes more detailed research collaboration agreements and helps parties align their expectations and begin preliminary discussions with a basic framework in place. The document includes essential elements such as the nature of research, resource commitments, confidentiality provisions, and next steps, while typically remaining non-binding except for specific provisions like confidentiality obligations. It's particularly valuable in the Swiss context, where research collaborations often involve international parties and require careful consideration of intellectual property rights and data protection regulations.
