© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Introduction

Ron Immink• Manager Invent

– Business development– Marketing Invent– Manage portfolio of 40 innovative technology ventures

• Background– Dutch– BA Small Business (!!!)– Entrepreneur since 1988– Specialist in small business development– Author of several best-sellers on business development– EBRD/OECD

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Invent-DCU

• Opened 2002• 9.3 mln investments• 2800 m2• 210 m2 wet labs• 5 floors• 49 units• Started as incubator• Since 2004 managing intellectual property of DCU• Commercialisation gateway/foundry

– Spin off– Licensing– SME linkages (spin in)

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Resource for

• Commercialisation of ideas arising from University research programmes

• Entrepreneurs amongst DCU staff, graduates, undergraduates, alumni

• Entrepreneurs originating off campus who wish to use DCU expertise

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Faculties

Dublin City University Business School Faculty of Engineering and Computing

Computing Electronic Engineering Mechanical & Manufacturing

Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences Applied Language and Intercultural Studies Communications Education Studies Fiontar Law and

Government Faculty of Science and Health

Biotechnology Chemical Sciences Mathematics Nursing Physical Sciences Health and Human Performance

Oscail (Distance Education) Ryan academy; Centre for excellence in entrepreneurship

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Research centres

National Research Centres• National Centre for Sensor Research

• National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology

National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology

Research Institute for Networks and Communications Engineering

University Designated Research Centres1. Centre for Digital Video Processing2. Centre for International Studies3. Centre for Research in Management Learning and Development4. Centre for Society, Information and Media (SIM)5. Centre for Translation and Textual Studies6. Materials Processing Research Centre 7. Vascular Health Research Centre8. International Centre for Neurotherapeutics9. Centre for Advancement of Science Teaching and Learning

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Research

• Nearly 60 mln capital investment• Over 50% of DCU income is now research

based• Bigger emphasis on:

– Commercialisation– Tech transfer– Innovation– Industry linkage– SME linkage

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Invent today

• 40 Invent clients

• Total valuation 21 mln

• Invent stake € 750,000

• 53 patents in portfolio

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Some Invent companies

Spin in• Sigmoid; drug delivery• Lexas; plasma manufacturing

Spin off• Slidepath; virtual slides for pathology• Phive; plasma screens• GSS; sensor technology

In between• Qualflow; cleaning control and sensor technology• Impedans; instrumentation

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Invent added value

• Process• Knowledge and expertise• Connectivity/network(2 phone calls away)

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Activities for Invent clients

• Plug and play approach• SPOTcheck (checks growth potential of company)• Ongoing business support (informal)• Access to DCU expertise/branding• Resident experts

o Innovationo Lawo Accountingo Marketingo Saleso Inspiration

• Innovators forum• Multinationals/angels/VCs/soft capital/help• International contacts  

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Culture

• Incentive schemes

• Commercialisation booklet

• Outreach

• Training/common language

• Symbols of success

• Enterprise fellows

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Ireland

• 250,000 SME’s• 25,000 start ups a year• High on GEM• Celtic tiger• High dependency on multinationals• R+D • Increasing focus back to SMEs

– Innovation– Export

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Investment-Driven

Economy

Input Cost Efficiency Unique value

Key Transition

(Paradigm Shift)

Innovation-Driven

Economy

Factor-Driven

Economy

R&D Investment

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Ireland

National Development Plan II 2007-2013

€4.5bn investment programme Investment & Development Agency (IDA) Still focus on foreign direct investment (high added

value) Increases in basic science investment

Science Foundation Ireland Higher Education Authority

Graduate School development Ca €2.5bn investment in third level sector

Double PhD output by 2013

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Instruments

• Incubators in all higher education institutes• Tech transfer

– Entrepreneurs– SMEs– Multinationals

• Enterprise Ireland (high potential/technology)• Enterprise boards (“normal”)• IDA (foreign direct investment)• Training programmes SMEs• Irish Diaspora

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Entrepreneurship development

• Highly fragmented in Ireland

• 3 tiers

– Ordinary entrepreneur

– Technology entrepreneur

– Social/green entrepreneur

• Inventors are ignored!

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Teaching

• Workshops/seminars

• START programme

• Enterprise platform

• Universities

– Old fashioned

– Too academic

– Some project based learning

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

New thinking

• Embedded business development (post doc level)

• Action based learning

• Closer links between incubators and teaching (Finland)

• For and by students (SIE)

• Secondary level/primary level

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Some Personal observations

• Schools kill entrepreneurship– 4 year olds 96% belief they can be whatever they want– 20 year old ?

• Not only skill, but a life choice (fire in the belly)• Passion• Is about talent spotting• Story telling (the pitch) is getting lost• Starting is not the problem, growing is• Execution, execution, execution• Learning by doing• Engineering is the issue, business is teaching monkeys how

to dance• Thinking/creativity

© 2006 Copyright Invent-DCU

Contact details

If you want to talk:

Ron:

01-7005721

086-8271490

Ron.immink@invent.dcu.ie