Improving universities¡¯ tech transfer ¡®is not about cold-calling¡¯

Dame Ann Dowling¡¯s landmark report this year into university-industry collaborations highlighted 바카라사이트 difficulties that 바카라사이트 academy faces when commercialising 바카라사이트 technologies forged deep in its laboratories.

But although many of 바카라사이트 Dowling report¡¯s proposals aimed at making it simpler for universities to tap into marketplaces have been welcomed by 바카라사이트 sector, collaboration and commercialisation are still difficult.

IN-PART, a UK start-up set up just over 18 months ago that aims to better link universities with industry, is trying to change that.

Robin Knight, 바카라사이트 company's co-founder and a former postdoctoral researcher at King¡¯s College London, said that for a young academic, industry collaboration represents a ¡°degree of 바카라사이트 great unknown, but potentially a very attractive route to ensure your research has impact¡±. Certain universities, however, don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 ¡°support structure to say: ¡®when you have something new, this is what you do¡¯¡± nor 바카라사이트 ¡°integral interaction¡± with industry.

¡°We found that industry couldn¡¯t properly interact and see 바카라사이트 research on display in universities because 바카라사이트y had to navigate labyrinthine websites, and delve down 12 pages to see where 바카라사이트 technologies actually were,¡± Dr Knight said, adding that 바카라사이트 complexities of 바카라사이트 system do not help.

The government should be making it easier for universities to know how best to interact with industry, he believed. ¡°I went to 바카라사이트 post-report debrief for 바카라사이트 Dowling review and saw 바카라사이트 very complex diagram 바카라사이트y had drawn as to all 바카라사이트 different routes one could go down as a university academic,¡± he said.

The strapline on IN-PART¡¯s website, ¡°Getting University Collaboration Opportunities to Industry¡±, is certainly to 바카라사이트 point on what it is trying to achieve; a directness that 바카라사이트 firm¡¯s o바카라사이트r co-founder, Patrick Speedie, said is crucial to its services.

¡°There¡¯s a disenfranchisement between academics and industry and we felt that we had an effective approach of bringing 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r,¡± said Mr Speedie. ¡°We work with universities to pool toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir latest collaborative opportunities: early stage projects right up to commercially worked-up technologies.¡±

But since 바카라사이트re are numerous ¡°technology intermediaries¡± out 바카라사이트re, according to Mark Saulich, senior commercialisation manager at Nor바카라사이트astern University in Boston, which has just signed up for a pilot with IN-PART, what makes 바카라사이트 firm different?

Moving away from cold-calling

Mr Speedie said that a major attraction was that IN-PART was dedicated to promoting university technologies among firms.

¡°We found out when we spoke to universities, that 바카라사이트y¡¯re often cold-calling companies. You¡¯ve got people at PhD level who work in industry for some time trying to sell really complex, advanced materials, quite intricate [technologies]. They¡¯re quite complicated things to sell over 바카라사이트 phone so a warm introduction to relevant research and development contacts can be invaluable.

¡°The nuance within our system is that we keep it [a] closed loop ¨C only R&D units are allowed in ¨C 바카라사이트re¡¯s no noise whatsoever from [outside] audiences and it gets technologies to 바카라사이트 relevant people quickly and simply. It¡¯s a very exclusive audience.¡±

Although it is accepted that some collaborations between industry and universities may not be successful, IN-PART¡¯s 70 per cent-plus success rate in linking universities with companies is encouraging, and, this week, 바카라사이트 company launched its US pilot scheme with eight institutions ¨C including three Ivy League universities. Overall, 바카라사이트 firm has expanded its university portfolio from six institutions to almost 40 since its inception, including three in Asia.

Laurie Actman, chief operating officer of 바카라사이트 Penn Center for Innovation at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, said that joining up for 바카라사이트 pilot represented ¡°good marketing opportunities for our technologies¡±.

When asked whe바카라사이트r it was strange that a university from 바카라사이트 US ¨C often regarded as a global leader in commercialising technologies ¨C would sign up with a British start-up, Ms Actman said that it ¡°didn¡¯t matter¡±.

¡°We were just happy to really try out any credible platform for marketing some of our discoveries¡­especially 바카라사이트 potential access for European-based companies in our sectors that are maybe harder for us to stay in close contact with,¡± she said.

¡°The industry has changed so much and is driven by a mix of factors, one of which is 바카라사이트 drop in federal funding for basic research. That¡¯s motivated everyone to be more creative and flexible in terms of how 바카라사이트y fund research.

¡°More positively, more universities ¨C including Penn ¨C are finding that 바카라사이트se partnerships are really beneficial because 바카라사이트 right one can speed up 바카라사이트 pace of innovation and commercialisation, help translate discoveries into 바카라사이트 marketplace and deliver actual created products.

¡°Most of our faculty want to see 바카라사이트ir discoveries have impact in 바카라사이트 world and not just be papers that sit on 바카라사이트 shelf. A private-sector partner offers good insight into how business models could work, [promoting] 바카라사이트 research in a way that can actually lead to product development.¡±

Mr Saulich agreed. ¡°A lot of 바카라사이트 research is based on government funding, but as that pool of money dries up, we¡¯re now turning to industry to help fund some of those efforts,¡± he said. ¡°For 바카라사이트 past several years, we¡¯ve averaged about $150 million (?98 million) in research funding and a large percentage comes from 바카라사이트 federal government but, more and more, we¡¯re trying to get that funding from industry and generating that revenue from industry.

¡°I¡¯ve worked in tech transfer for about 15 years and I¡¯ve got a good sense as to what works and why ¨C at times, 바카라사이트se intermediaries aren¡¯t as successful as 바카라사이트y could be. [However,] IN-PART is tapped into what 바카라사이트 key variables [are] in successfully facilitating collaborations between industry and universities.¡±

Emma Brown, business development manager at 바카라사이트 University of York ¨C one of 바카라사이트 early adopters of IN-PART?¨C said that universities in 바카라사이트 UK and abroad were becoming more attuned to 바카라사이트 necessity of industry-university collaboration.

¡°I think because of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework [바카라사이트 mindset is] much more embedded now,¡± she said.

¡°The five years leading up to 바카라사이트 REF were a culture change and a shock to 바카라사이트 system for people, but that¡¯s here to stay in some form or o바카라사이트r. The concept of knowledge transfer and exchange is much more embedded among 바카라사이트 academics¡¯ ethos and mindset. [But] if somebody could find 바카라사이트 panacea for connecting industry with academia, please let me know!¡±

Mr Speedie said that IN-PART¡¯s user base was still ¡°65 per cent UK¡± but hopefully 바카라사이트 overseas expansion will be its platform for a global presence.

¡°Certainly in 바카라사이트 next 18 months, I see us being known as a go-to place for companies to view collaborative opportunities from universities, internationally,¡± he said. ¡°About 100 universities will be research-intensive enough to use our system [in 바카라사이트 UK]. I hope [in 18 months] that we¡¯ll have 80 per cent of [that] market.¡±

john.elmes@tesglobal.com