Gillian McFadzean, Director Research & Enterprise Services
Research, Technology Transfer & Regional Engagement
Galashiels
Orkney
Dubai
Edinburgh
Malaysia
HWU has a global reputation for research and innovation
RAE2008: 50% of HWU research was rated internationally excellent or world leading 87% of HWU research was rated as of international quality
Engineering & Physical Sciences
Built Environment
Life Sciences (Food, Drink & Health)
Petroleum Engineering
Textiles & Design Mathematics & Computer Science
Management & Languages
Edinburgh Business School
Research Base: Pure and Applied
Heriot-Watt University Working with Industry: the Converge project
Strong HiSTORIC reputation for working with industry
Industrial sponsor income declining
Government competitive funding requires industry partners
Expansion of the university +20 academics p.a.
• Excellent research skills
• Many from outside UK
• Few with company contacts
Why? What was the need?
To accelerate application of research
£4.2 years: £6M project: £3.2M practice/£2.8M industry facing research
ERDF and EPSRC funded
• UK and Scottish government and Heriot Watt ambitions
Combines
• Developing academic capacity
• Business development capacity (5 people) embedded
• Assistance to spin-outs
• Marketing, events, public engagement
Overview
What does it look like?
Marketing and Sales
Internal
External – industry led conference/trade shows
• SE, HIE, SFC, TSB, KTN, trade bodies etc.
• All Energy, Photonics West, Scot Tech Showcase
Matchmaking
• Interface, KTNs, etc.
All sizes of companies:Large, medium, small, micro
Strategic alliance, research or development project, ‘support’, facilities, expertise
How does it work?
Case Study - UWI Technology Ltd (smart labels)
1 x SME-HEI Innovation Voucher & 1 Feasibility study
• Colour Science & fluid flow systems
• Technology proven on bench by HWU
• Led to patent filing by UWI
• Led to SMART award
SMART Award to develop µ-fluidic labels with HWU
1 new job created @ HWU
License to HWU background IP
VC investment secured by UWI >£150K
Scottish winner of “Barclays – One Small Step” competition
Growing our Little Partners
Case Study- Macphie of Glenbervie Ltd (Baker)
Student placement for 3 weeks
EDTC Feasibility Voucher for “Gluten Free Bread dough’s”
Joint patent filing by Glenbervie in 2011
“License in” of HWU background
£500K multi-partner award from TSB (August 2011)
• 2 x Scottish partners
• 1 Welsh oven manufacturer
• 1 x bakery
Supporting our Big Partners
INDUSTRY DAY: Advanced sensor “The 6th Sense”
2012
WHO: 62 Research academics, 228 industry colleagues, 14 professional experts, government and industrial authorities
WHAT: The opportunity to discuss with industry:
What are the challenges? What is the industry need?
What cross-disciplinary solutions or opportunities can Heriot-Watt provide? How can we respond to the challenges together?
WHY: To understand the needs of industry and encourage their collaboration with our academic experts working at the forefront in finding solutions, methods and approaches to tackle the challenges
HOW: Discussion and debate, marketing, networking,
exhibitions, speaker opportunities
Briefing SMES
Scotland’s Partnerships
IDEA
•TTO Review
•Licence V Company
•Ambition?
•IP diligence
•Market diligence
•Mentor
•Training
•- In curriculum
•- Researchers
• potential spinouts
•= University
•= region/BIC
•=together
Assessment
•Spinout CEO
•TTO
•Investors
•Science Parks
•Company support agencies
•IP experts
•Industry accountants
•Region experts
•Elevator pitch to entrepreneurs and media
Development
•TTO Mentor
•Business Plan
•IP ownership
•IP licence
•Facilities
•Contacts
•Training
•- Management
•- Markets and Marketing
•- Finances
•- Publicity
•Mentors
•Free expertise
•Proof of Concept funds
•Enterprise Fellowship
•Management team
•Market research
Growth
•Investors
•Competition awards
•Accelerator support of funds and expertise against targets
•Mentors
•Management teams
•Non-exec Directors
•Staff recruitment
•Access to markets
• Innovation funds
•TTO review
•More licenses
•Assessor review
Creating Entrepreneurs and Companies
Scotland wide programme to develop entrepreneurs Practical help to the participants for a period of 20 months with the focus on strong market engagement and developing commercial skills of founders
A rigorous 4 stage selection process over 7 months
Converge Challenge
3 page application form
•Up to 30 projects shortlisted
2 day residential training
•Elevator pitch competition
Full Business Plan
•Up to 10 plans shortlisted for external judging panel
Investor presentation to the judging panel
•3 Converge Challenge awards and 3 awards for Principal’s Product Challenge
Over 80 applications from 9 different universities 50 people attending residential training 350 people attending seminars attention from non-Scottish VCs = a pipeline of entrepreneurs
17 technology companies formed
•expected growth of 20% per annum 4 “lifestyle” companies formed = real growth for Scotland In 2 years
Creating Entrepreneurs
179 companies supported
141 Scottish companies
£3.8M additional income to HWU
£1.5m increase in Scottish company turnover
reported by 10 companies
32 additional jobs in independent+ Scottish companies
14 new products in Scottish companies
40 networks supported (includes pools)
6 new products for networks
4 new Heriot-Watt spin outs
17 new tech spinouts for Scotland
(+independent = not our spinouts)
Outcomes at 2.5 year point
HWU has re-established global reputation for basic and applied research and innovation We achieved this by
Including knowledge exchange and technology transfer in our promotion criteria for academic staff
Giving academic staff the skills to engage effectively
A dedicated Research and Enterprise Services unit
Providing business development expertise to engage companies
Handling licensing and company creation professionally
A marketing strategy to enhance our engagement with industry
Overall Outcomes for Heriot-Watt?
HWU delivers industry engagement for Scotland
We lead by providing across Scotland, for Scotland:
Scottish Crucible - gives academic staff skills to develop interdisciplinary research
KE Conference – for postgraduate students and young researchers
Converge Challenge – competitive rigorous training to develop new companies. 17 new Scottish companies in 2 years
Industry tailored events demonstrating how HWU research is developing and how it is used in companies
Industry sector briefings
Outcomes for Scotland
Converge Challenge will deliver Transnational Business
Challenge competition for the partner countries in Open
Innovation Interreg.
National winner from Open Innovation Partner
countries will compete in the Transnational Business
Challenge by
delivering an investor pitch to an international panel
of judges
delivering an elevator pitch to a wide audience.
The event will take place in November 2012
European Engagement
Gillian E McFadzean Director Research & Enterprise Services E: [email protected] Skype: Gillian.McFadzean
