2. Our Aims for this Session
• Learn how to identify potential Public Research Organisations
(PROs) to collaborate with
• Offer guidelines on selecting PROs to work with
• Provide you with good practice guidelines for collaboration
activities
• Outline the range of EU and National funding available, so that
you can initially assess their suitability; and provide contact
details for you to explore the option more fully
5. Exercise
• For one of the Businesses or projects in the class, in
groups, come up with ten ways to identify potential
HEI partners for this business/project (5 mins.)
6. Sources
• The internet!
• Your Own Communication Channels: website, newsletters
• University Research Portal sites eg http://eprints.ulster.ac.uk/
• University Technology Offer sites eg http://openulster.com/
• Scientific/Academic Publications
• Patents
• Scientific Conferences
• Seminars and other form of direct interaction
• Projects within the EU Framework Programme
• Intermediaries - local
• Intermediaries - EU
• Internal Company Contacts – your staff!
• Professional Social Networks eg Linkedin
10. Our Advice
• Start small (especially for first time SMEs)
• Recognise the differing motivations
• Avail of Funding
• Treat collaboration strategically
• Align interests
• Organize for lasting relationships
• Provide the right professional skills
• Establish clear intent
• Use standard practices (next session) and communicate regularly
• Achieve effective management of intellectual property
• Provide relevant training
12. Preparation
• Meeting of University Professor & Senior
Management
• Objectives of project collaboratively defined
• Discreet and not complex
• Define the project tasks
• Agree intermediate Milestones
• Aim is to solve the company‟s organisational or
technical problem
14. More Video Case study
The University perspective (Waterford IT)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pudH0Ut38I&feature=player_embedded
Shasta Baby Products – Innovation Voucher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ape1boxZWAY
16. Guiding principles
Prioritise training new
Publish without delay Graduates
Competent use of Effective steps to secure
available knowledge commercialisation
17. How to achieve Positive Outcomes
overcoming common
difficulties such as
diverging cultures, volatile
relationships
address human tendency
to “keep things close to
the chest.”
understand and respect
what is important to
others as well as to
themselves
18. Keys to Success
• Eliminate problems early,
• Negotiate IP management,
• Agree ownership of results,
• Decide on exclusivity of use,
• Provide for equitable
compensation,
• Ensure fair returns in the event of
successful commercialisation
19. Collaborative Research Agreement
What is a Collaborative
Research Agreement??
In groups, outline what • What will be key
you think might/should be considerations for an
included in a CRA SME?
• What will be key
considerations for a HEI
20. What‟s included in a CRA
• Definitions, identification of parties, objectives and
partner selection
• Confidential information
• Scope
• Resources
• Funding and pricing
• Governance and coordination
• Reporting
22. What is the 7th Framework Programme
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html
23. 7th Framework
The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) bundles all research-related EU
initiatives together under a common roof playing a crucial role in reaching the
goals of growth, competitiveness and employment; along with a
new Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP),
Education and Training programmes, and Structural and Cohesion Funds for
regional convergence and competitiveness. It is also a key pillar for
the European Research Area (ERA).
The broad objectives of FP7 have been grouped into four
categories: Cooperation, Ideas, Peopleand Capacities. For each type of
objective, there is a specific programme corresponding to the main areas of EU
research policy. All specific programmes work together to promote and
encourage the creation of European poles of (scientific) excellence.
24. Local Sources of Funding - NI
• Invest NI
• Knowledge Transfer Programme
• Innovation Vouchers
• Intertrade Ireland
25. Invest NI support for Innovation Collaboration
Technical Advisory Unit (TAU)
Technical Development Incentive (TDI) Scheme
Innovation Vouchers
26. TAU - What do they do?
Guidance & support on a wide range of technical issues:
•Technical information and problem solving
•Advice and information on technical and legislative issues
•Intellectual Property advice
•Management Systems (quality, environmental, safety etc)
•Technical Compliance Issues eg CE Marking
Financial support:
•Technical Development Incentive (TDI) Scheme
•Innovation Vouchers
27. Technical Development Incentive
Financial support to SMEs to address technical and quality
related issues such as:
•New technologies or processes
•Product & process problem resolution
•Product approval/ type testing
•Intellectual Property
•Improved product design & performance
•Quality/Integrated management systems
•Max grant of £5,000 (at up to 50% of project costs)
•Projects costing between £500 and £15,000
• Further information – Kieran McGuinness 028 9069 8818
28. Innovation Vouchers
£4000 voucher to encourage small
registered enterprises to engage with a
Knowledge Provider to develop an
innovative solution to a business issue
Companies can apply for up to 3
vouchers for different projects but may
only have 1 „live‟ voucher at a time
Pooled voucher option for collaborative
projects (up to 10 companies)
Around 700 vouchers issued to date
29. Knowledge Providers
41 Knowledge Providers
throughout Northern Ireland and
the Republic of Ireland
Universities, Colleges, Institutes
of Technology and other research
bodies
More information at
www.innovationvouchers.com
The company chooses which
Knowledge Provider to use
30. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)
Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships is Europe‟s
leading programme helping
businesses to improve their
competitiveness and
productivity through the
better use of knowledge,
technology and skills that
reside within the UK
knowledge base.
32. KTP Features
• Project length 12-36 months
• At least 1 Graduate (KTP Associate)
• Associates recruited jointly and
employed by the University
• Project located on company premises
with joint company and academic
supervisor
• Academic Supervisor spends ~ ½ day
per week on the project
• Funded by Government grant and the
company partner
33. KTP Costs - 1 Associate for 1 Year
+ Graduate salary available (company decides) £27k
+ Associate Development circa £6k
+ Travel and Subsistence
+ Equipment and Consumables
+ University Expertise circa £10k
Total package circa £43k
• Cost to SME per year ~£17k
• Cost to Large Company ~£26k
36. Intertrade Ireland Fusion
Similar to a KTP BUT on a Cross Border basis
FUSION, support packages worth up to £29,500/€33,150 are available
for you to undertake a 12 month innovation project.
Partnered with a third-level institution with the specialist expertise you
need and a high calibre science, engineering or technology graduate.
A graduate is employed by you and is based in your company
throughout the project with mentoring from the academic partner and
InterTradeIreland FUSION consultant.
Ask for volunteer or from your knowledge of the group suggest a business/project from those already outlined by the participants earlier in the day.List answers on a flip chart, then compare with suggested answers in next slide.
Trainer note, for background reading on these heading see section 5 of responsible partnering guide
Trainer: Ask the question to the group, expect answers such as; excelent facilities, knowledge and expertise in subject area, a clear research brief etc.
Explain that it is a significant body of research that shows this, practically every study.Also explain that “contract research” tends to be driven by different dynamic seee point 1.9 in responsible partnering.
Trainer: background reading for this section is Chapter 3, how to be a responsible partner
Make comment about having seen these before! And of course the KISS applies. Explain that small scale might be an Innovation voucher scheme. Also that a University is not going to work for free! So funding even for small scale projects will be needed, or paid by the SME
From the Best practice of Collaboration between Universties and industrial SMEs pdf
There are lots of case studies, search google video with the term “innovation voucher”. If you know the business make-up prior to course, identify some similar type business case studies
Use the Responsible partnering Guide as your basis for the rest of these slides. Hopefuly they get the joke
Allow10 mins, record answers on flipchart, then compare with the “expert opinion on what should be covered as highlighted in next 2 slides, highlight any key ommissionseg ownership of background/foreground etc.
Background reading is pages 17 to 20 of responsible partner guide, compare the answers the group come up with with the suggested/recommended model agreement
