Newsletter February 2009

I-techpartner Forums in March 2009

The EU funded I-techpartner project in which ProTon Europe is involved is dedicated to facilitate knowledge transfer, partnering and collaboration and contacts between public research organizations, universities and innovative SMEs. 

The aim of the project is to:

• facilitate innovation agencies and knowledge transfer offices to disseminate knowledge
• assist in establishing partnerships between academic research and entrepreneurship
• examine how collaboration between public research organizations and SMEs takes place
• collect and disperse best practices for effective methods for collaboration with industry.

The I-techpartner Forums are designated for the following participants:

• Entrepreneurs of privately owned innovative companies
• Start-ups and spin-off companies
• Leaders of research platforms and technology projects
• Knowledge transfer officers from universities and public research organisations
• Extra-regional companies and research platforms
• Managers of incubators, science parks, business and innovation centres
• Business angels and business school alumni
• Advisors in venture capital, funding and business development
• Corporate R&D professionals
• Executives in licensing, investment and partnering
• Beneficiaries, VIPs and sponsors
• Presenting speakers
• Reviewers and coaches of presented projects.

Members of ProTon Europe are invited to participate in the upcoming I-techpartner Forums: the New Materials Forum on 5 & 6 March in Valencia and the Healthcare Biotech Forum on 30 & 31 March in Rome.

I-techpartner Growth Academy in Coimbra

The I-techpartner Growth Academy in Coimbra, Portugal on 29-30 January brought together research leaders and SMEs with activities in the sectors Pharma Biotech, New Materials and Industrial Biotech.

Several member KTOs of ProTon Europe participated in this Growth Academy. During the practical sessions the presentations of technology projects by KTOs and SMEs were assessed by experts who provided suggestions on how to present research projects to potential investors. Researchers and SMEs were invited to fine-tune the content of their presentations and proposals to potential partners. Presenters received detailed input from relevant experts in their sector concerning their strategic priorities and possible partners. For this purpose a team of coaches and reviewers attended the presentations providing useful feedback to researchers and technology developers about the content of their presentations and the application of their technologies.

ESA Investment Forum

ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) transfers space technologies for applications in non-space sectors.

ESA TTPO is based in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. The activities of TTPO has led to the creation of a number of new start-up companies in Europe, many of which have been promoted through ESA’s Business Incubator. On 6-7 April 2009, TTPO organizes the ESA Investment Forum in La Hulpe in the Brussels agglomeration. During the Forum companies and researchers interested in space-based technologies can meet with the European Space Agency and interact with potential investors.

Proof of Concept Workshop

How to Plan, Finance and Implement.

The drivers for Proof of Concept (PoC) are clear: there is a need for an accelerated and de-risked route to ensure commercial outcomes for research, whether licensing, spinouts or other innovative ventures. But what is Proof of Concept? Is there best practice? Are managed or unmanaged schemes more productive? Can culture change be addressed by PoC? These and many other issues will be discussed in this first co-branded Proof of Concept workshop, organised by TII and ProTon Europe, in collaboration with the UK-based innovation consultancy, YTKO.

1st Announcement and Call for Papers
12th International Conference on Technology Policy and Innovation (ICTPI09), July 13-14, 2009, Porto, Portugal

For more than one decade ICTPI has been a major event successfully bringing researchers, business and policy-makers together to share their knowledge and experience in issues of critical importance for the use of science and thechnology to foster sustainable socio-economic development. Previous conferences have been held in various places in Europe, US and Asia, as in the ICTPI website (http://in3.dem.ist.utl.pt/confpolicy/).

This year, the conference is organized by the University of Porto and INESC Porto with the support of UTEN Portugal (University Technology Entreprise Network) and in cooperation with the IC2 Institute of the University of Texas at Austin and will address Science, Technology and Knowledge Networks and their central role in the development of long term growth strategies to face the financial crisis. The theme and motto of ICTPI09 is due to challenge us in developing strategic responses to the crisis that integrate long-term concerns, by involving research and development, higher-education and science-based innovation.

Interested authors are invited to submit electronically to ictpi2009@inescporto.pt, by April 15, 2009, 1-2 page abstracts of papers to be presented at the ICTPI09 in the following areas:

a) New frontiers in science, technology and innovation for short and long term growth strategies, including
    - sustainable energy systems: property rights challenges, emerging carbon markets and consumer trends
    - multimodal transportation systems and infrastructure
    - networking industries, cyber-physical systems and the emergence of new generation networks
    - manufacturing, engineering design and the role of new production systems
    - nanotechnologies, biotechnologies and their convergence
    - interactive digital media: a new dialogue between the arts, the humanities and engineering

b) User-driven innovation and the role of lead markets: implication for private and public strategies
    - which balance for IPR protection, open access and knowledge diffusion?
    - building evidence on user-driven innovation

c) Institutions for a new era
    - how to foster university autonomy, diversity and integrity in times of increasing financial constraints?
    - knowledge networks and R&D consortia for new knowledge

d) Human resources strategies and policies
    - how to balance the need to broaden the social context for innovation and to strengthening advanced training and target research?
    - learners and teachers for a learning society

Key note speakers and thematic sessions, as well as updates on the conference program, will be posted at www.ictpi09.org.pt

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