the link - issue 14
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Celebrating 25 YearsTRANSCRIPT
Issue fouRTeeN summeR 2014
WheRe ReseaRch & INNovaTIoN meeTs eNTeRpRIse
the linkR e g i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t C e n t R e
i o n a D F o R b a R t h a R é i g i ú n a C h
CELEBRATING
25YEARS OF DRIVING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
IN THE NORTH EAST AND CROSS BORDER REGION
LINK Issue 142
This year the Regional Development Centre (RDC) at Dundalk
Institute of Technology reaches an important milestone as it
celebrates its 25th Anniversary. The Centre was one of the first
on-campus incubator facilities established in 1989 to support
knowledge based start-up enterprises in the North-East and
Cross-Border region. Now 25 years later, the RDC has evolved
to encompass a wider role in driving regional economic
development by supporting campus entrepreneurship,
knowledge-based start-ups and existing businesses.
Since 1989 the RDC has supported more than 864
entrepreneurs, incubated 117 knowledge based start-up
enterprises and conducted over 200 applied research projects.
A 2013 Socio-Economic Impact study found that results
generated by the activities of the RDC amounted to €38.9
million GVA per year, supporting 632 jobs.
In this edition of the Link we recall some of the activities
pursued in the ‘early days’ of the RDC in our centre page pull
out. We also profile those activities we are currently pursuing
that continue to support that early vision.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to invite you
to join us in a range of events that will be held throughout
the year in celebration of our 25 years in operation, details of
which can be found on our website.
Irene McCausland
External Services Manager, RDC.
We hope you enjoy this edition of The Link. If you have any
comment or suggestions regarding content, or would like to
be included on the mailing list, please e-mail
I mbliana baineann An t-Ionad Forbartha Réigiúnach (RDC) in
Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Dhún Dealgan garsprioc tábhachtach
amach agus é ag comóradh 25 bliain ar an bhfód. Ba é an
t-Ionad ceann de na céad gorlanna gnó ar champas a bunaíodh
i 1989 chun tacú le gnólachtaí nuathionscanta eolasbhunaithe
i réigiún an Oirthuaiscirt agus Trasteorann. Anois 25 bliain níos
déanaí, tá forbairt tagtha ar RDC chun ról níos leithne a ghlacadh
i bhforbairt eacnamaíoch an réigiúin, ag tacú le fiontraíocht ar
champas, le gnólachtaí nuathionscanta eolasbhunaithe agus le
gnólachtaí reatha.
Ó 1989 i leith tá RDC tar éis tacú le 864 fiontraithe, tar éis 117
gnólachtaí nuathionscanta eolasbhunaithe a ghoradh agus tar
éis níos mó ná 200 tionscadal taighde feidhmeach a stiúradh. I
staidéar Tionchar Socheacnamaíoch 2013 fuarthas gurb ionann
tionchar gníomhaíochtaí an RDC agus €38.9 milliún GVA sa
bhliain, ag tacú le 632 poist.
In eagrán seo The Link tugaimid chun cuimhne sa lárleathanach
roinnt de na gníomhaíochtaí a bhíodh ar siúl le linn laethanta óige
an RDC. Tugaimid cuntas gairid freisin ar na gníomhaíochtaí atá
ar siúl again faoi láthair a thacaíonn fós le fís na laethanta úd.
Mar bhuille scoir, is mian linn an deis a thapú cuireadh a thabhairt
duit dul i bpáirt linn i réimse imeachtaí a bheidh ar siúl i rith na
bliana i gcomóradh ár 25 bliain ag feidhmiú – tá sonraí ar fáil ar
ár suíomh gréasáin.
Irene McCausland
Bainisteoir Seirbhísí Seachtracha, IFR.
Tá súil againn go mbainfidh tú taitneamh as eagrán seo The Link.
Má tá tuairimí nó moltaí agat maidir le hábhar, nó más mian leat
bheith ar an liosta póstála, cuir r-phost le do thoil chuig.
Réamhrá / Foreword
Regional Development Centre Dublin Road Dundalk Co LouthT +353 42 9370400 F +353 42 9370499W www.rdc.ie E [email protected]
Great care has been taken to ensure that this information is accurate, but the Regional Development Centre, including its subsidiaries does not accept responsibility or liability for errors or information which is found to be misleading.
Written & edited by Garrett Duffy
T + 353 42 9370400
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ENTERPRISE
For many business founders the impetus to start their own business comes from many sources, a desire to work for themselves, identifying an opportunity for a new product or service, perhaps redundancy or company closure. Whatever the initial reason, seeking out new frontiers can be challenging, worrying and rewarding. To support and develop early stage and start-up enterprises, Enterprise Ireland fund the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme delivered in the North East by Dundalk Institute of Technology, in collaboration with DCU. Since 2012 a total of 104 participants have taken part in the programme from a wide range of industry sectors.
To acknowledge the achievements of some of those participants (the 2013 Phase 2 cohort), an end of programme event was held recently where those in attendance received certificates from Paschal McGuire, Director Entrepreneurship Border Region Enterprise Ireland. These participants launched businesses in the energy, sports, software, beverage and product development sectors. Some businesses began trading during the programme, others scaled their existing activities growing their international customer base while more still completed the development of their products.
While the programme provides a comprehensive range of supports, including: training, mentoring and financial assistance, there is always one resource that participants wished they had more of; Time! The six months of Phase 2 appears to go in a heartbeat. This is why we counsel all participants to “act boldly as time is limited”. There is no time to sit back or to design the perfect product or service, participants should get to MVP (minimal viable product) as soon as possible and start making sales and generating cash.
Of course this same advice could be applied to participants at every stage of the programme and even those people who are contemplating setting up a business. So if you have an idea for a new product or service and are considering setting out for new frontiers then why not give us a call to discuss your options and the New Frontiers Programme. We run three Phase 1 programmes each year the next being in October 2014 and applications are open now.
Act Boldly Today!For information regarding the New Frontiers Programme please email [email protected] or telephone 042 9370400.
participants on the 2013 New frontiers programme: feargal Duffy, Brenda Woods, padraig fallon, susanne mccorry, Deirdre Woods, Jimmy Gargan and sean moran.
seeking New frontiers? Act boldly!
paschal mcGuire, eI with Jimmy Gargan, pureheat
sean moran, eauLab with paschal mcGuire, eI
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Business incubation has come a long way since the inception of what is purported to be the first business incubator, the Batavia Industrial Centre, started in 1959 in New York, USA. Incubators nurture the entrepreneurial drive of start-ups and growth SMEs who can be at their most vulnerable in this infancy period. They provide an optimum location to innovate, strategize, develop and grow early stage businesses.
For the last 25 years the RDC has embraced best practice and innovations, and constantly strives to assure a world class eco-system for its clients that goes beyond the tacit skill of the Incubation Centre Manager. Its interventions range from hands-on business support, access to a range of sectoral expertise, an extensive network of other entrepreneurs, agencies and suppliers, virtual support, desk and office rental, lab space and everything in between.
The RDC is at the forefront creating the necessary environment to develop the future wealth and employment creators in our region and country. Two tenant companies, Celtic Testing and Newzmonkeys outline the benefits they’ve received locating with us in the RDC in the following articles.
For more information on Incubation and Start-Up supports contact Aidan Browne, Incubation Centre Manager email [email protected] or telephone 042 9370455
Incubation: an environment conducive to fostering entrepreneurial drive
celtic Testing recently joined the growing family of tenants located in the RDc. The company provides Quality assurance expertise and software Testing solutions for a range of industries and clients from smes to large blue chip companies.
The company ceo and founder Noel Kierans is Drogheda born and went to the us to pursue a soccer scholarship in the early 1990’s. after graduating with a degree in Business Information systems from Georgia southern university, Noel worked for 10 years as a principal consultant for a leading us consulting firm. It was at this time that Noel identified the industry need for a quality assurance partner that provides more than test execution; an independent partner who can provide Qa expertise and solve business software challenges long term. This recognition led to the formation of celtic Testing experts in 2005 in atlanta, Georgia. since then the company has formed long term partnerships with several fortune 1000 and forbes 500 companies. Their impressive portfolio of clients spans over a diverse range of industries including financial services, retail, telecoms, IcT and healthcare.
When a decision was made to break into the european market, celtic Testing had an easy choice for its european headquarters – Dundalk. speaking about celtic Testing’s establishment in Dundalk’s Regional Development centre, Noel Kierans said “I am delighted to expand our services and products to Ireland, the uK and europe. This was an obvious choice for us owing to the continued growth of software development in Ireland and europe. The expertise and experience gained in the us market combined with our innovative technology tools and customer focused solutions gives us a solid platform to build a successful business in europe”.
software is pervasive in our everyday lives. The importance it plays often comes to light only when it goes wrong. This is most evident in the recent Internet explorer issue and closer to home, the software difficulties experienced by ulster Bank. Defects can be expensive, cost companies billions of euro in repairs, lawsuits and lost sales. They can damage reputations that companies work hard to build and some software malfunctions can result in the loss of lives. Defects and damage limitation are more expensive
to fix the later they are found. celtic Testing offer businesses the peace of mind that only Best practices are used throughout all elements of the software development cycle. all stages are rigorously scrutinized, optimized and audited, bringing bugs and anomalies quickly to light.
as celtic Testing offers independent Quality assurance expertise, they focus on ensuring their partners have the correct quality assurance process in place for each unique project. holding such an independent role enables celtic Testing to ask the tough questions that developers are not always best placed to ask. as Kierans puts it “We are the fresh pair of eyes that see the woods from the trees. our consultants are highly skilled and trained and are supported by a highly innovative tool box created by celtic Testing.”
celtic Testing is currently working on a new Test management system Tool that will enhance the value of the testing process and enable clients to meet legal and regulatory compliances. This new tool will launch in Q3 2014.
currently four staff are employed in various roles in Dundalk with plans to grow the team to 10 over the next year. celtic Testing has found DkIT and the RDc to be valuable and expert resources in helping celtic Testing position itself to penetrate the Irish, uK and european markets.
further information on celtic Testing and the range of services they provide, including: Qa process assessment and optimisation, Qa project management, Test execution, Best practice Implementation, Qa Risk management and Qa consulting can be found by visiting www.celtictesting.com
Back to Roots
aidan Browne Incubation centre manager
Having availed of the support and infrastructure offered by locating in the Regional Development Centre located on the campus of Dundalk Institute of Technology, Carmel Crawford and her team at Newzmonkeys have developed a free-to-play, point-and-click online browser game and app designed specifically for pre-teens and are now poised to take advantage of this incredible market. Carmel Crawford tells the story so far.
‘Newzmonkeys’ goal is to provide children with an outlet for their imagination and creativity by promoting and rewarding an interest in reading, writing and sharing. Children can also play fun games and interact with each other in a safe online community.
In 2012, I completed the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme with a plan to develop an online children’s game. It was clear to me at that point that to develop a successful, global children’s game was an enormous task! I needed assistance in many diverse areas spanning from game development to creative media, business and humanities and multimedia.
An informal lunch in the RDC (Regional Development Centre) in Dundalk soon after would prove to be very fortuitous. At the lunch, I met Aidan Browne, the newly appointed Incubation Centre Manager and we discussed the opportunities and benefits of locating in an incubation centre, particularly one located in the grounds of a centre of learning excellence such as the Dundalk Institute of Technology. Aidan suggested that I have a look around and we spoke about the facilities, available supports and access to the Institute’s research activities. The moment I viewed a small office tucked
Making the News
away in the corner on the first floor, I could see this as the future base for Newzmonkeys!
Having taken up residence in the centre, Aidan introduced me to the Technology Transfer Manager, Neil McLoughlin, so that I could apply for an Innovation Voucher. I needed a knowledge provider who would have a full understanding of how games work. I also wanted to develop links with the third level research community as this would enhance our capability to deliver innovative solutions in our cross-platform game and also build credibility. At the time, the skills I required were Art and Concept Design, Game Design and Prototyping.
Following on from the first voucher, I applied for another. This would allow the game to move from concept to design and build on the progress already made. This time, I needed help with Research and Development, Basic Prototype/wireframes, refining Character Designs and Game Interface graphics. The vouchers were ‘spent’ with the Institute’s Creative Media Department and as a result of the excellent work done by them, we were able to make substantial moves forward and facilitate the development of the final design document.
With the concept and the final design document completed, the next step was to commence production. At this time the Department of Computing and Mathematics proved invaluable by introducing me to two game developers (recent graduates of the Institute) and assisted with the establishment of a work plan so that work could commence in September 2013. I was also fortuitous in receiving support in the form of student projects that carried out detailed research for me into a number of geographic markets which has been fed into the company strategy. By this stage my little office was running out of space and I took a second office in the RDC which was large enough to suit the team’s needs. This office is now our design studio.
At every step of my journey, the people involved in the RDC and the Institute have really helped me. I am extremely pleased with the way that the development of the game and its roll-out strategy has progressed and it has been enormously helped by the availability of talent and generosity of advice of some of the best creative and business talent that surrounds our studio.
www.newzmonkeys.com
INCUBATION
carmel crawford ceo Newzmonkeys and members of her team with mr. K. uchiyama, Deputy head of mission and counsellor and mr. asakawa, economic advisor and Researcher from the Japanese embassy.
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honeycomb – creative Works and Drogheda arts festival came together recently to present a series of digital technology events as part of the annual arts festival.
honeycomb is a €4.2m support programme targeted at companies and freelancers who are leading on digital content creation within the wider creative industries sector. Delivered by the Regional Development centre across the six border counties of the Republic of Ireland, the aim of honeycomb is to help digital content professionals to become more competitive in the global marketplace.
Game On In Drogheda as part of an innovative weekend of events under the Game on banner, honeycomb, in partnership with coderdojo Drogheda, presented Tech Talks, a series of inputs from industry leaders in animation, gaming, robotics and visual effects. The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation by Jason Lopes from Legacy effects in Los angeles. Jason is lead engineer for one of the world’s greatest special effects companies and his work to date includes avatar, Iron man, The Life of pi, cowboys and aliens to name a few. Jason has also revolutionised the world of visual effects through his use of 3d printing.
Jason also presented a masterclass for industry on the world of Legacy effects. This masterclass was aimed at professionals working in the digital technology sphere and gave an insight into the changing world of special effects in the film industry, as well as referencing the increasing role of 3d printing in its development.
Who better to join Jason at this session than Dr conor maccormack from mcor Technologies based in Dunleer and a former client of the Regional Development centre. mcor Technologies is an innovative manufacturer of the world’s most affordable, full-colour and eco-friendly 3D printers. They are the only 3D printers to use ordinary business a4 paper as the build material, a choice that renders durable, stable and tactile models.honeycomb also facilitated a digital technology networking event where local industry representatives were able to interact with the Tech Talk speakers – stephen howell from microsoft; Tomm moore from cartoon saloon; peter Redmond from mechatrons and Jason Lopes.
Reel Focus FilmsIt was a busy festival for millmount tenants Reel focus films who were not only successful in getting the contract to provide video and photography coverage of the honeycomb events as part of the festival, but they also were commissioned to provide footage of the whole festival programme. Garry Kenny from Reel focus films appreciated the exposure and the opportunity that the festival gave them as a young company and highlighted the role honeycomb and the Regional Development centre is playing in their start-up period:
Reel focus films was delighted to be given the opportunity to cover the
events at the Drogheda arts festival, as well as teaming
Honeycomb – creative Works helps Drogheda arts festival go Digital
up with honeycomb and the RDc to cover the Jason Lopes Tech Talk and his masterclass on the world of special and
visual effects. Jason also took part in a one-on-one interview which we filmed where he charted his own
career plan and gave advice for young companies, like Reel focus, who are eager to work in the Tv and film industry. It is great that the RDc, through honeycomb, is sponsoring these kind of
events; providing networking and business opportunities and supporting the digital
content sectors.
To find out more about honeycomb – creative Works and the various events and training courses that are taking place over the coming months, simply log on to www.honeycomb.net and register your interest, or contact Kevin fearon at the Regional Development centre at DkIT. email [email protected] or telephone 087 761 6440.
Honeycomb – Creative Works is led by University of Ulster, in partnership with Dundalk Institute of Technology and Creative Skillset. It is part-financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the INTERREG IVA Cross-border programme managed by the Special EU Programme Body.
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Jason Lopez
25 Jason Lopez
YEARS OF DRIVING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH EAST AND CROSS BORDER REGION
The Regional Development centre celebrating 25 years The Regional Development centre was
established by Dundalk Regional Technical
college in January 1989 in response to
an initiative from the IDa, funded by the
International fund for Ireland, to build
incubator units on the campuses of the
Regional Technical colleges in Dundalk, sligo
and Letterkenny.
The centre was established in partnership
with other state agencies, industry and
organisations as an important focal point
with the principal objective of creating a
regional based science and Technology
infrastructure.
To achieve this, the centre addressed four main
categories of activity during its inaugural year:
• promotion of campus incubation facilities to
support knowledge and technology based
enterprises
• provision and co-ordination of research and
consultancy services for industry
• promotion of International and european
development programmes in the area of science
and technology, and
• promotion of pure research.
The centre set about these tasks with a close liaison being established
at an early stage with the IDa, eoLas and fas to avoid unnecessary
duplication.
In 1992, only three short years since opening, the activities of the centre
were reported as follows:
• from 3 people employed in the centre in early 1989 this has
grown to 36 in 1992 and is expected to reach 50 by the end of
1993. practically all employees are graduates with the most being
graduates of RTc Dundalk.
• five companies, three commercially orientated service units and
four research groups operate in the centre which was extended
in June 1992 to twice its size with grant aid secured from the
International fund for Ireland, the IDa and with Industrial
sponsorship and support.
• The centre’s turnover was £400,000, made up of Research (51%),
Incubator Income (6%), Grant aid for technology business service
units (33%) and services and consultancy (10%).
• Incubation centre companies turnover was £378,000.
fast forward to 2014.
Regional Technical college Dundalk is now
Dundalk Institute of Technology. The RDc
underwent another expansion in 2005 and
currently is four times its original size. as of
December 2013:
• There are over 130 people employed
in the centre and its satellite incubator
in millmount, Drogheda. over 90% of
employees are graduates from a wide
range of institutions including DkIT.
• 14 companies are incubating with a further
6 companies hotdesking, there are 2
commercial R&D facilities and 10 Research
and programme support units.
• since 2001 the RDc has managed over
€24 million in externally funded projects,
supported more than 864 entrepreneurs,
incubated 117 knowledge based start-ups
and conducted over 200 applied research
projects.
• Incubation companies and Industry now
engage at significant levels with all the
activities of the centre and those of
Dundalk Institute of Technology.
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TECH TRANSFER
The Innovation Voucher programme (offered by Enterprise Ireland and InvestNI) is an excellent tool for developing relationships between companies and institutions of Higher Education. The Technology Transfer Office [TTO] at the Regional Development Centre manages this programme for DkIT and is able to give guidance to companies as to how to complete the application form and formulate the knowledge question. In several instances the discussion with the TTO has led to the company amending its application and expanding its innovation requirements. It is important that the Innovation voucher work programme is either the start of, or part of, a bigger development requirement.
DkIT has worked on a wide range of voucher programmes spanning from Product Design development, prototype development to new approaches to On-line business development and even on-line content creation. More recently the Applied Science department has taken on the development and execution of a test regimen for 2 new developments in
the area of water reclamation and waste product recovery. Other projects have resulted in the completion of a Scientific Research report on the future need / potential for technologies in specific Health Care sectors.
The TTO is open to considering vouchers from all disciplines and will quickly inform a company if the expertise does not reside within DkIT to support their needs. In such a case the TTO can help direct a company to a suitable partner amongst the many institutions and universities located on the island of Ireland.
Two other excellent innovation support programmes are InterTradeIreland’s Fusion Programme and Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Partnership Programme. DkIT is a proponent of these programmes as they enable companies to dedicate resources to a development programme with mentoring from an academic in the related field at a fraction of the total cost. At the end of such a programme the company will have achieved their development goals and
also have the possibility of hiring a new resource who is an expert in this area. DkIT would take on 10-12 of these programmes a year mainly in the Engineering [Mechanical, Electrical Product and Process development] and Software [online, mobile or system development] sectors. Recently there has been a level of interest in the Healthcare and Science sectors.
These programmes typically are 6-24 months in duration. The TTO is always interested in discussing such opportunities and supporting the application process.
While these are the most utilised support programmes available there are others and the TTO is a good starting point in terms of identifying which supports would be best suited to a company’s needs.
For more information please contact: Neil McLoughlin on 042 9370453 or email: [email protected]
Delegates at the recent Technology Transfer Office/Industry Seminar, Crowne Plaza, Nov 2013
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Is Technology Transfer part of your Growth Strategy?
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Denis Cummins, President DkIT, welcomes Minister Ruairí Quinn T.D. to the ACE Conference at Farmleigh House
Dundalk Institute of Technology Leading a National education RevolutionMinister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn T.D. acknowledged the role of Dundalk Institute of Technology in revolutionising education in Ireland.
Over the last 6 years, DkIT has worked with 7 other Irish Higher Education Institutes as part of the ACE (Accelerating Campus Entrepreneurship) Consortium, to introduce enterprise and entrepreneurship education in non-business courses.
“We all know that business students learn valuable financial and management skills. But it is also vital that those studying other disciplines such as engineering, creative industries and healthcare learn essential business skills. By learning to think in an entrepreneurial way, graduates are better prepared
for the world of employment or self-employment” said Denis Cummins, President of DkIT. At the ACE Conference at Farmleigh House on Monday 23rd June the CEEN (Campus Entrepreneurship Enterprise Network) was established. This will provide a network for educators to share resources and support the introduction of enterprise education in non-business disciplines across their campus.
In addition to driving the entrepreneurship agenda in 3rd level education, CEEN will work with primary and secondary educators to integrate entrepreneurship and enterprise education into Irish education.
“Irish education must be innovative. It needs to adapt to meet the changing needs of graduates. It is not enough to
teach technical skills. Entrepreneurship is a mind-set. It is a suite of skills. It is an ability to assess problems and find solutions. By teaching entrepreneurship, we give our children the toolkit they need to design their own future. This is the era of the “Entrepreneurial Graduate” in Irish Education and DkIT is proud to lead this way in this major educational change” concluded Denis Cummins.
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ace projects showcased at farmleigh
Irene Mc Causland, External Services Manager at the RDC and Bridget Kerrigan, ACE Project Manager, also based at the RDC, review the new CEEN website
The Farmleigh event showcased a range of projects developed under the ACE initiative, as described below.
Ireland’s First National Entrepreneurship Educators Programme
A core objective for ACE was to extend entrepreneurship teaching beyond the HEI’s business school and in September 2013, ACE launched the first National Entrepreneurship Educators Programme. This programme saw 21 educators from 17 HEIs, from a range of educational disciplines, study for the new ACE Level 9 qualification in entrepreneurship education.
The Engaged Student Project
Another area of ACE activity has been to create opportunities for learning by doing through the establishment of student enterprise societies. Common in the UK and US, enterprise societies provide start-up support and promote student led enterprise through competitions, seed funding, a campus based market place and exposure to entrepreneurs.
The Engaged Student Project brought together students teams from DkIT, NUIG, CIT and IADT to establish an Irish network of student enterprise societies, which will be further expanded through CEEN.
Developing Standards for Entrepreneurship Teaching & Learning
As part of its drive to promote entrepreneurship teaching and learning, ACE collaborated with the HETAC (now QQI) to develop draft guidelines for teaching and assessing entrepreneurship. Throughout 2013 ACE ran a series of regional workshops for educators aimed at raising awareness and supporting educators to develop their teaching practice and this work will continue under CEEN.
National Website and online Repository
ACE established a National Website and Online Repository. The website aims to support all stakeholders involved in campus based entrepreneurship,
including HEI leadership, educators, researchers, students and the wider community. The website was launched under ACE’s successor body CEEN and can be found at www.ceen.ie.
A New Professional Network for Entrepreneurship Educators
CEEN will be a new national professional network aimed at promoting and supporting campus based entrepreneurship. Membership of the network will be available to all HEIs as well as other stakeholders with an interest in campus based entrepreneurship including business and the wider community. Members will be supported through information and knowledge resources disseminated through the CEEN website.
For further information about ACE or CEEN , please contact Bridget Kerrigan, ACE Project Manager, at the RDC, on 042 9370450 or email: [email protected].
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Enda Prendergast, owner of the Coffee Cup kiosk product with VITAL Project Director Kieran Fegan.
VITAL – The DkIT led project which focuses on new venture creation and business growth through the matching and transfer of innovative knowledge based ideas & technologies with seasoned entrepreneurs or SMEs has now identified nearly 200 innovative ideas some of which have been evaluated and substantiated with a business case.
VITAL project managers are in the process of identifying border-based and Northern Ireland (outside Greater Belfast) business owners and track record entrepreneurs who are interested in being matched up with these new product / technology opportunities. A number of deals are currently being negotiated.
“Leveraging the discoveries, technologies and intellectual property of others can give companies a distinct competitive advantage and can shorten the time to market” says VITAL Project Director Kieran Fegan. “This can save time and money on R&D and can be undertaken in conjunction with in house R&D activities”
VITAL is screening and evaluating the innovative ideas it has identified to date and has worked up a number of strong business cases. The project is now focused on the matching and licensing process and once conditions have been agreed, the project can provide assistance with implementation advancement, for example by fast tracking the route to market through one-to-one mentoring, consultancy, access to market knowledge and priming funding if required.
Kieran goes on to summarise the benefits of technology transfer and licensing.
Licensing enables companies to acquire or put conditions
in place to commercialise new products and processes without going through an expensive and risky research & development.
The most common forms of Technology Transfer
are licensing, joint ventures and technical cooperation agreements. Technology
Transfer allows companies to expand the product portfolio
or to enhance the functionality of an
existing product.
VITAL is encouraging businesses and entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities to get involved. It can enable new and profitable partnerships through a new kind of technology transfer that will allow them to short circuit their time to market, reduce development costs and extend their market reach.
VITAL is also interested in hearing from those with good ideas who might want to submit their idea to the project for evaluation and match consideration. VITAL offers a very viable progression route for those with a good idea who don’t believe they are best placed to
take it to market. Cavan based Insulation Manufacturer Ballytherm is benefiting from participation on the VITAL project.
“I would recommend licensing new VITAL ideas and technologies to all forward thinking companies as a potential mechanism for growth,” says Brendan Cosgrove, Director, Ballytherm Ltd
The project is a partnership between Dundalk Institute of Technology, Queen’s University Belfast and Dublin City University. It is operating across Northern Ireland outside of greater Belfast and all six of the border counties in Ireland from Donegal to Louth.
For further information please go to the project website on www.vitalforideas.com
VITAL has been supported by the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
Ideas Bank: How the Vital Project is pump priming the Cross Border Economy
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• A product opportunity exists which relates to a mobile software application, which will provide a digitised document management system for small construction companies and sole traders in the area of contracts and other on - site documentation. The offering will facilitate cloud based storage, real time reporting and remote access for all relevant site operatives and managers.
• Another product opportunity exists which relates to a high-margin fermented alcohol beverage product with niche export market channels focus. Growth potential rising to €2.7m sales volume at end Yr 5 based on very conservative targets with low level of capex at start-up and low levels of ongoing capex as business grows incrementally.
• An opportunity exists which relates to the testing, modification and commercialisation of a portable device to assist anyone, but particularly older people and those suffering an infirmity, be it temporary or permanent, to start a pull cord engine.
• A product opportunity exists for a new type of sink waste fitting which is an innovative alternative to the traditional waste outlet for kitchen sinks. It removes the need to disconnect the waste outlet from the sink and associated plumbing to allow for easy cleaning, thereby reducing the build-up of residue that can cause unpleasant smells. A working prototype has been developed by the inventor and has been tested successfully on a limited scale in a domestic environment. Patents have been granted for UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Turkey, USA and Australia.
• A product opportunity exists which relates to a cradle to grave cloud based Contracts Lifecycle Management system software application, to include contract drafting capability, digital signing, process management, tracking and remote cloud storage.
• An opportunity exists for the manufacture and sale of a “Car Breakdown Assist”; an electro mechanical device designed to enable broken down cars to be moved short distances. The aim is to create a device which can be easily used by one person, but which gives greater control and improved safety aspects over existing products on the market. To move the vehicle, the mechanic attaches the device to one wheel of the car, then sits in the vehicle and hits the remote control. The vehicle moves forward or reverses at a rolling pace while the driver is in full control of the steering. When in its final resting place the remote control is hit again to stop the car. The overall market for such equipment includes commercial garages, car showrooms, car breakdown assistance organisations such as AA, vintage car enthusiasts involved in repairing and upgrading cars in home garages etc.
• A product opportunity exists which relates to a bicycle pedal designed to improve the efficiency of bicycles by reducing the effort required by the cyclist to propel the bike. This will allow the cyclist to travel further distances with less effort. Early testing has indicated an efficiency gain of between 30 40% over a standard bike pedal which would appear transformational to cycling. pending further testing.
• There is a pipeline of innovative cycling related product opportunities from this idea generator.
• A product opportunity exists which relates to the commercialisation of an innovative Tug of War machine. The product (for which a prototype has been developed) will offer a considerable range of additional features relative to what is currently available, including; reduced space requirement, facilitating easier deployment; integrated software to facilitate data analytics for clubs & participants, scope to facilitate real time remote competition, competing teams on the same platform, safer than the current gantry & weights product offering, speed facilitating competition, easier weighing in process than current individual weighing need. aesthetically pleasing.
• An opportunity exists which relates to a the development and commercialisation of a temperature controlled organ housing system to be used during transportation of small human organs (primarily kidneys), in a manner that prevents organ freezing damage, allows for longer transit times and facilitates an appropriate data feed during transportation.
• A product opportunity exists which relates to the manufacture and distribution of a kiosk, in the shape of a large coffee cup, 2 meters in circumference which would be a stand alone take away sales point for a range of coffees and related products.
Showcasing VITAL Product Opportunities
For information on any of the following opportunities, or to see the full list, visit www.vitalforideas.com or contact [email protected]. Some of the VITAL product opportunities are showcased below:
element design t 00 353 42 9323430 e [email protected]
iOTA - Driving business innovation ioTa is a business development programme with an emphasis on Innovation as a driver of business achievement and wealth creation.
The programme focuses on:
Innovation Fostering the development of new ideas leading to new or improved products, new or improved services or new or improved business processes that add value and create wealth
Opportunity Providing an opportunity to programme participants to hone their new ideas through one-to-one sound boarding with experienced business mentors
Training Developing innovation and business skills to give participants the necessary knowledge and the confidence to use this knowledge to reap commercial reward from their ideas
Advice Mentoring from experienced business experts to provide steering and help to resolve uncertainties and unknowns and sign post your route to achieve your goals.iOTA sets out to achieve these goals by providing two strands of support: Strand A (Innovation Awareness Raising and Pre-Incubation Support) and Strand B (Innovation Awareness Raising and Support to Existing SMEs).
During Strand A potential entrepreneurs participate in a structured programme focusing on harnessing innovation and creativity, and developing a business concept into a viable small business.
They also can avail of:
• Support and preparation of an Action Plan• Innovation Clinics• Training • Access to academic facilities on a cross border basis• Opportunities to develop cross border links and business networks
Strand B aims to create awareness of how ‘innovation’ relates to local businesses and assist them to explore how they can innovate to expand and grow their businesses. Bespoke Innovation Action Plans are a particular feature of this Programme. Specialist mentors will assist SMEs/Individuals to develop their ideas through an Innovation Action Plan whilst addressing the identified Innovation Challenge in each business.
This is done through a blend of activities including:
• Innovation Training, Workshops and Master Classes• Innovation Mentoring• Access to Academic Expertise• Signposting to existing enterprise support
DkIT began its Strand A programme in June and is currently seeking Strand B participants i.e. Micro-enterprises and SMEs, which will run from July to December.
Strand A is also being delivered by a number of the partners (see details below) and places may be available in other locations.
For more information please contact:Neil McLoughlin on 042 93 70453 oremail: [email protected]
Log onto www.iotaprogramme.com or email [email protected]
Engaging Industry- Collaboration is KeyStrong relationships between DkIT and regional businesses have underpinned the success of the Regional Development Centre over these past 25 years. A programme of events for 2014 features a number of important consultation sessions with business and industry to strengthen those relationships.
With the objective to identify ideas around how industry and the institute
could better collaborate on current and future projects the first of the industry engagement events took place in June co-hosted by the School of Engineering and the Regional Development Centre attended by 15 companies from varies sectors in the region.
Aidan Browne, Incubation Centre Manager, gave an overview of the work the RDC is engaged in to drive economic development in the region and some of the successes it has achieved over its lifetime. Participants then engaged in a talk about innovation and collaboration in business delivered by Innovation Expert Malachy Mooney of Team BDS who demonstrated the importance of being innovative within an individual business and within the sector overall. He reinforced important messages about understanding your customer and their evolving needs.
Head of School, Eugene Roe gave an overview of the School of Engineering at DkIT and how his team engage with and support the work of industry which was followed by Neil McLoughlin, Technology Transfer Manager in the RDC, who explained the various forms of applied research funding and supports available to business owners.
The audience then broke into two groups for a facilitated discussion. Coupled with lively debate and open discussion a wide number of ideas and suggestions were made and many seeds were sown that have the potential to deliver true collaboration and co-operation into the future.
As the Regional Development Centre celebrates its 25 years in existence, thoughts turned to how to can best celebrate this milestone. As the year progresses, the Regional Development Centre will stage a number of events to recognise past achievements and to plan for future success. The Engineering Industry Engagement session was just the first of the 2014 Industry Engagement Sessions. Further engagement sessions are planned for the Autumn. These will be co-hosted by the School of Health and Science, School of Informatics and Creative Arts and the School of Business and Humanities in conjunction with the RDC.
To get involved in any of the future sessions contact Aidan Browne, Incubation Centre Manager on 042 9370455 or [email protected] or Neil McLoughlin, Technology Transfer Manager on 042 9370453 or [email protected]