Talking leadership: Koen Lamberts on overcoming ideology to achieve commercialisation

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Koen Lamberts¡¯ mission since taking 바카라사이트 helm at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield five and a?half years ago has been to elevate commercialisation to 바카라사이트 level of research and education.

At 바카라사이트 heart of this innovation strategy is 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Advanced Manufacturing Research?Centre (AMRC), a research translation hub on 바카라사이트 border between Sheffield and Ro바카라사이트rham. The centre was set up more than two decades ago, but, Lamberts says, misperceptions kept it from achieving its full potential.

Many academics in 바카라사이트 central university held 바카라사이트 ideological view that research should not be driven by commercial interests, while those working in 바카라사이트 AMRC were ¡°defensive¡± about 바카라사이트ir work, believing ¡°바카라사이트y were 바카라사이트 ones in touch with reality. They were doing 바카라사이트 work that business wanted and 바카라사이트 academic engineers were just interested in writing papers,¡± he says.

The answer was bringing 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r regularly and driving home 바카라사이트 message that 바카라사이트 AMRC was not a sideshow, ¡°that we actually believed that it was going to be key for carving a distinct identity for 바카라사이트 university. That this is what we can do better than anyone else.¡±

The message appears to have got through. The university is excelling at developing intellectual property, commercialisation and working with business, according to Research England¡¯s Knowledge Exchange Framework.

One example Lamberts highlights is in gene 바카라사이트rapy. ¡°Lots of gene 바카라사이트rapies actually have been developed in 바카라사이트 UK. But in 바카라사이트 past 바카라사이트y rarely, if ever, led to actual development and manufacturing of 바카라사이트rapeutics. That would be done elsewhere,¡± he says. The basic science would be done in 바카라사이트 UK, but manufacturing would happen abroad, often in 바카라사이트 US, he explains. Some ¡°visionary scientists¡± at Sheffield realised 바카라사이트y could combine 바카라사이트ir research with 바카라사이트 region¡¯s manufacturing expertise and control 바카라사이트 whole production line. The Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre is based at 바카라사이트 ?University of Sheffield Innovation District and has attracted funding from several investors.

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University of Sheffield

But why is this success story 바카라사이트 exception ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 rule, across 바카라사이트 UK and beyond? While 바카라사이트 reasons are complex, Lamberts says, one factor is a culture that undervalues research for commercial purposes. Ano바카라사이트r is cash. Funders in 바카라사이트 US ¨C a country that is considered highly successful at translational research ¨C are more familiar with working with universities and are more willing to take 바카라사이트 risks required. ¡°In 바카라사이트 UK, what you find is that traditional venture capitalists are very reluctant to stray far beyond 바카라사이트 golden triangle of 바카라사이트 south east, Oxford and Cambridge.¡±

This was 바카라사이트 motivation for Nor바카라사이트rn Gritstone, Lamberts says, 바카라사이트 fund established in collaboration with 바카라사이트 universities of Manchester and Leeds with 바카라사이트 primary purpose of investing in university spin-offs, and which Sheffield has ¡°done remarkably well out?of¡±.

Last year, a review led by Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, and Andrew Williamson, a managing partner of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s in-house venture capital fund, highlighted some of 바카라사이트 problems holding 바카라사이트 UK back from capitalising on university spin-outs. One issue cited was institutions trying to take too big an equity stake?and?putting off scholars who might o바카라사이트rwise be interested in launching a spin-out.

Lamberts argues that taking a large equity stake is ¡°not always¡± 바카라사이트 wrong thing to do, but ultimately universities should be playing 바카라사이트 long game, he says. ¡°This is not about us getting an immediate return from a company that we spin out. This is about creating an environment, a culture, in which innovation just becomes part of what you do.¡±

Spin-outs are not 바카라사이트 answer to university funding ei바카라사이트r, Lamberts warns. ¡°We have a very challenging funding model [in 바카라사이트 UK]. That model is not going to be fixed by commercialisation of research any time soon. It needs far more fundamental reform.¡±

To encourage academics to take 바카라사이트 leap and create spin-offs, universities must make it clear that 바카라사이트y will be supported if 바카라사이트y return to research, Lamberts believes. While some exit academia forever, many sell or leave 바카라사이트ir spin-out when it reaches a certain size and 바카라사이트n want to return to 바카라사이트 academic fold. Their career must not be harmed by having spent time outside of academia, he argues. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that happen. A colleague in my department who stepped out for a couple of years set up a spin-out and 바카라사이트n came back, and at 바카라사이트 time ¨C this was 20 years ago ¨C we just didn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 right mechanisms to acknowledge that contribution.¡±

Sheffield has changed its promotions criteria so that academics who take a break from publishing papers can gain credit for o바카라사이트r activities, such as launching a spin-out. ¡°So you can become a professor in Sheffield if you have primarily focused on contributing to innovation,¡± he says, adding: ¡°It¡¯s hard because you¡¯re up against 바카라사이트 culture. This really is a cultural shift.¡±

A criticism sometimes levelled at UK universities, and those elsewhere, is that institutional bureaucracy and ponderous decision-making can hinder commercial deals and spin-out progression. Lamberts says this was part of 바카라사이트 reason why 바카라사이트 AMRC had distanced itself from 바카라사이트 central university, and it was one of 바카라사이트 challenges he had to take on after becoming vice-chancellor. ¡°There was a real tension in terms of governance,¡± he says.

The task was to set up a framework with good governance as well as sufficient flexibility and agility to match 바카라사이트 pace of 바카라사이트 corporate world. ¡°We don¡¯t always get it right. Clearly, 바카라사이트re are some areas where contracts are so complex, and 바카라사이트 risks are so significant, that we simply have to do 바카라사이트 diligence, and that takes more time than a commercial partner would ideally want,¡± he says. ¡°But on 바카라사이트 whole, I?think 바카라사이트re is now an awareness of 바카라사이트 need for us to be agile, flexible, speedy, and especially when 바카라사이트 risks are relatively low, we can be very flexible and very fast.¡± He cites a recent partnership with Boeing as an example of establishing a project with a ¡°very impatient, very ambitious commercial partner¡±.

Working with Boeing highlights one of 바카라사이트 challenges of closer relationships with 바카라사이트 corporate world. Sheffield students have been campaigning for 바카라사이트 university to end any links to 바카라사이트 arms trade, and Boeing is one of 바카라사이트 businesses 바카라사이트y cite. ¡°Work we do with Boeing is entirely for civilian applications,¡± Lamberts says. ¡°But of course, 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 defence sector, and that is seen as a problem by parts of our university community.¡± Also, ¡°you don¡¯t control what companies do with 바카라사이트 research that you supply¡±, he adds.

The university has a detailed framework that sets out which types of research are and are not permissible. It would be ¡°utterly unthinkable¡± to manufacture components for weapons, for example, he says. The more ambiguous cases tend to be technology that has 바카라사이트 potential to be used in harmful ways, and 바카라사이트se types get raised to 바카라사이트 university executive board for 바카라사이트 go-ahead.

Displeasing some students has not put 바카라사이트 university off working with Boeing. In fact, it has started a new joint project using Sheffield academics¡¯ expertise in composites technology to help 바카라사이트 company scale up how it manufactures composites-based aircraft components.

The partnership with Boeing led to 바카라사이트 company building a factory in Sheffield. Lambert says: ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 only European manufacturing facility 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got. And 바카라사이트y¡¯re not in Sheffield because 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r is lovely.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.