Anne Conaty Department of Enterprise, Trade

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KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER Governance
and Finance
Anne Conaty Department of Enterprise, Trade
Investment The IRE Knowledge Transfer Working
Group
19-20 February 2007 Madrid
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Knowledge and Technology Transfer Governance
Key Issues / Challenges

• Two regional universities with very different
  cultures
• Low levels of absorptive capacity in many NI
  firms
• IP Ownership / Management
• NI HEIs have a poor record of levering external
  research income
• Low level of graduate start-up companies
• Low level of attaining patent awards
• Licensing activity less-well developed in
  comparison to other regions
• Poor collaboration between NIs two HEIs
• Industry not seeking HEIs as innovation Partners

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How Regional Knowledge and Technology Transfer
Process is Governed

• Main actors in charge of the KT strategy design
• Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
• Department for Employment and Learning
• Invest Northern Ireland
• Main actors in charge of the KT strategy
  implementation
• Queens University of Belfast (QUB) / University
  of Ulster (UU)
• HPSS RD Office and HPSS Innovations
• RTD Centres of Excellence
• Innovation Relay Centre (Technology Transfer)
• Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP)
• NI Centre for Competitiveness (clusters)
• Beneficiaries
• Businesses higher levels of engagement in RD
  and Innovation increased productivity
• University staff greater experience of working
  in business improved understanding of community
  issues
• Voluntary and Community Organisations capacity
  and capability building
• Students work experience enhanced
  entrepreneurial skills

4
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Governance
Human Resources

• Indicative numbers of personnel dedicated to
  knowledge transfer in NI regional process
• Examples of incentives for KT, TT and IP
  generation

5
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Governance
Management Tools

• Policy tools
• Draft Regional Economic Strategy
• Economic Vision for Northern Ireland
• thinkcreateinnovate the Regional Innovation
  Strategy for Northern Ireland
• Portfolio of KT services management
• Proof of Concept / Spin-out assistance
• Spin-in activities
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
• Contract Research / Consultancy
• Technology Licensing
• Patenting Assistance
• Networks
• Industrial Support Units
• Professional Development
• Community and Voluntary Service Outreach

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Knowledge transfer governance how to evaluate
the efficiency ?

• Overarching Target is to Reduce the Gap Between
  NIs and the UKs Business Investment in RD
  (BERD)
• - In 2005 NIs BERD as a percentage of GVA was
  0.5 compared with 1.24 for the UK
• - External Research Income to NIs Universities
  in 2005 was 58 of Government Support, Compared
  with 155.7 in the UK as a Whole
• Proof of Concept
• - QUB 23 projects
• - UU 15 projects
• Consultancy / Industry Support
• QUB 400 businesses / year
• UU 300 businesses / year
• KTP / Fusion
• - QUB 40 / 29 per annum
• - UU 20 / 20 per annum
• Number of start-ups created
• - 3.5 per year averaged across both HEIs

7
Regional Knowledge Transfer How is it Financed
?

• Investments
• Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF)
• - 3m per annum
• Research Capacity (SPUR)
• - 90m 2003 to 2007
• - 50 public 50 private (Charity - Atlantic
  Philanthropes)
• Infrastructure Support (SRIF)
• - 23m 2004 to 2006
• - 90National (OSI) and regional (DEL) funding
• - 10 University funding
• RTD Centres of Excellence
• - 18no. At cost of 35m 2002-2006
• - has levered 115m of private sector funding
• Seed Corn Funding
• - UCF 2.75m for university projects
• - NITECH for private sector projects up to max
  250k
• Proof of Concept)
• - 31 projects representing investment of 4m

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Recommendations

• Summary of lessons learnt
• - Emphasis in NI now industry-pull rather than
  technology-push
• - Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel
  established to give industry lead
• - Need for permanent funding for university
  technology transfer activities
• - NI needs to address as a priority the
  absorbtive capacity of its SMEs.
• Suggested good practice
• - KTP very successful with both companies and
  universities
• - Universities asked for KT strategies /
  business plans
• - Funding of universities linked to commercial
  activities.
• Issues for the future
• How to increase greater levels of university /
  business engagement
• Levering greater business investment from public
  funding of university research
• Generating a greater culture of commercialisation
  within the research base
• - Improving the capacity of our small businesses
  to undertake research