Accelerating innovation through partnerships: the role of universities

Carlo Iantorno

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Innovation : the concept

Buzzword of this decadeDefinition (businesses)

Produce or make possible new products or new operating processes

Definition (society at large)The new “digital lifestyle”

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Invention vs. Innovation

Invention Innovation Created Implemented

Ethernet Local Area Networks

Metcalfe, Xerox PARC

3COM

Graphical User interfaces

Windowing Stanford Research Institute

Apple

Hyperlinks Internet browser Tim Berners-Lee, CERN

Netscape

Relational Model of Data

Databases E.F. Codd, IBM Oracle

Transistor Integrated circuits Shockely et al., Bell Labs

Intel

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An example : the Internet boom

Recombination of advances

Telco deregulationY2KDot-com

The “Greatest single creation of wealth in human history” : created by information!A Silicon Valley venture capitalist description

NASDAQ

Issues

Can universities have a role in innovation?Should they?

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• Know-how • Exposure to international progress• Capable to transfer knowledge • Credibility

A few reasons why yes

Areas positively influenced

Educating for the knowledge societyDriving the information economyPiloting the strategic applications in the local environmentsAccelerating the know-how about process and organizational transformation in SMEs

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Educating for the knowledge society

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“Pull” “Push”

Knowledge society

Supporting the information economy

New paradygmsValue not cost drive the price of informationRedesigned competition rulesIntellectual propertyNetwork externalitiesCooperation, compatibility, standards

University contributionNew economic rules in mainstream coursewareDisciplines: economics, marketing, law, organization, sociologyFundamental research in relevant areasPilots of strategic applications

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Examples of information economy segmentsInformation segment Mid-term scenario

Electronic Gaming Key application in young generations.

Digital TV IPTV deployment wide in next decade.

Digital movies Needs high-end broadband adoption.

Electronic books Slow adoption in next 5 years.

Electronic newspapers Selected major papers to go digital by 2012.

Smart phones Will consume an increasing part of the digital contents.

Digital music Deemed to replace traditional music.

Web advertising Could grow to approach 100 b$ by the new decade.

Online commerce Industries transformed: e.g. travel, banking, media, cons. electr.

Arts digitalization Strategic investments in selected countries.

Tourism applications Strategic in some countries : integrated services.

Micro-payments Driven by smart cellular phones, will be mainstream in 5 years.

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Piloting the strategic applications

Tourism: Integration Arts: Organization/Digitalization

Catalogues, searchesDigital imagingWeb publicationElectronic rights managementOpen research contributionVisual tours

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PositioningLocal informationArts, culture, lodging, sight-seeing,..Video/voiceMobile

Infoidentification, payments

Contributing to SME transformation

Internet commerce as % of total revenue

SMEs in EuropeToo smallToo little IT investimentsToo little R&D sharingToo few IT skillsStill detached from the new economy

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SME development – role of university

Business innovation driver University potential added value

Customer management culture Customer relationship management methodologies

Organizational culture Organization models, best practices

Market intelligence Business analysis methodologies and tools. Market research

Internet presence Web sites design and implementation, content management

Electronic commerce Market and target segmentation, web tools

Advanced marketing The new rules of marketing in global and information age

Process automation Business process analysis and optimization

Knowledge sharing Knowledge management practices, Intranet and document management tools

Project management Project management theories, methodologies, tools and software applications

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Microsoft Corporate initiativesOveral umbrella initiative: CitizenshipGoals:

Partners in InnovationSupporting the development of digital society

Member of the European Alliance on Skills for Employability

pledged to provide 20 million people in Europe with access to technology, content, certification training opportunities by 2010. 8 million people have been reached to date, among them over 3 million students.

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Key Microsoft programs

Innovation Centers : bringing innovation to local economiesEuropean Science Initiative: fostering researchMicrosoft IT Academy: bringing IT skills to schoolsStudent to Business Program: allowing students to get interships in the industryDigital Curricula: contents for e-skills

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Microsoft Innovation Centers

What are theyA network of facilities aimed at fostering local innovation, by Microsoft, universities and local Governments.

ProgramsSkills and Intellectual Capital accelerator: software development courses, business skills and market development training, employment programs for students. Industry partnerships accelerator: software quality certification programs. Proof-of-concept projects and workshops for software companies.Innovation accelerator. hands-on experiences and custom courses.

Current status:110 Centers in 60 countries. Increasing to 200 Centers in 25 additional countries.

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European Science Initiative

Enabling and accelerating new ‘kinds’ of science and computing

Important new fields now emerging at the intersection of both.

Current areas of interestComputational BiologyComputational Ecology and Environmental Science

CentersCentre for Computational and Systems Biology, Trento (Italy)Microsoft Research-INRIA Joint Centre (software & systems security, management/analysis of complex scientific data)

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Microsoft IT Academy

Two goalsHelp students master technology skills that prepare them for today’s workplace, Give workers an opportunity to improve technology skills.

Open to accredited academic institutionsPrimary, secondary, post-secondary, trade or technical institutions, and sources of continuing education.

ProgramsCurriculum. Online learning resources. Faculty trainingJob and internship support for students.Microsoft Certification

Available in more than 100 countries.Italy : over 160 participating educational institutions

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Students to Business Program

The program connects Microsoft partners with universities., leveraging on the large Microsoft’s IT industry ecosystemThe students are offered internship positions in innovative software companies.Objectives:

Allow graduating technical students to accelerate their entry in the job market, creating opportunities to work on real projects. Inspire local businesses to communicate the competency requirements for new talent. Leverage Microsoft and universities to provide the needed skills

Italy : about 400 students have joined the program in the last 12 months.

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Digital Curricula

The Unlimited Potential and Digital Literacy curricula

Sets of learning tools designed to teach technology skills to people who have little or no experience with computer technology.

Each curriculum is made up of:A series of training modules and materials for instructors and students to use in a classroom environment and/or for independent study.

Training curriculum offering:Part of the Unlimited Potential programValuable tools to help more people learn how to take advantage of computers to improve their quality of life.

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What does an IT global company need from the University: a free opinion

GeneralAdvanced computer usage skillsEnglishHuman relationshipsLearning capabilitiesCommunications capabilitiesTeam working and organizational behaviour

BusinessMarketing analysis, strategyEconomic/financial basic knowledgeLeadership and coordination capabilities (esp. with external world)

TechnicalArchitecture & planningStructured programming

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