SMEs – collaborating with a HEI9.00 – 9.30 registration9.30-9.45 Introduction to the day9.45 - 10.15 Intro and icebreaker – getting to know, reflecting and sharing, use the rose motif (petals and thorns) – was your education a petal or a thorn? Take 10 minutes to reflect, 10 minutes to discuss with the person to their right, 5 minutes group reflection.10.15 – 11.00 BENIFITS/WHY BOTHER?10.15– 10.30 - Problem Solving•Video on how an SME solved a problem with HEI help•Summary power point10.30 – 10.45 - Expertise/ Research/Equipment•Power point: One slide on each topic (Expertise/Research/Equipment)10.45 – 11.00 - Credibility•One case study – video?11.00 – 11.15 - International R&D networks•Power point highlighting networks such as FP7 and their benefits

11.15– 11.30 - Tea Break11.30 – 13.00 CHALLENGES11.30 – 12.00 - The modern university and business – Interactions and common challenges (MLU)•Flow chart & power point slides

12.00 – 12.30 - Understanding the research challenge? The need to clarify costs•Video and discussion (interactive)•Hard copy spread sheet to begin the thought process (link to afternoon practical session)12.30 - 13.00 - IPR•Technical presentation13.00 LUNCH

Facilitators• HEI Programmes• Expected results• Facilitator – who is that?• HEI and SME facilitators: primary providers

and supporters• Government Programmes to engage

HEI&SME• HEI Business Engagement Programmes• Technology Transfer Programmes

Facilitators

• Science Innovation Centres NCN• Business Support Units• Non-Governmental Organizations• Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental

Organizations• Enterprise Agencies• Business Incubators• Private Investors

HEI Programmes

• Involve SMEs and HEIs into mutually beneficial cooperation

• Ensure SMEs access to research and innovation• Provide HEIs with financing and return of

investment made in research

HEI Programmes

• HEIs enhance their business credibility • HEI Programmes identify barriers in

cooperation between SMEs and HEIs • HEI Programmes Management Stuff often

comes from business circles to use their business practice

Expected results

• Overcoming of barriers in cooperation between SMEs and HEIs

• Access to innovation and research knowledge for SMEs

• Understanding of SMEs functioning by HEIs• Creation of cooperation community of HEIs

and SMEs

Expected results

• Financial return of HEIs investment in research

• Self-employment in HEI sector – students and start-up companies

• SMEs growth

Expected results

• Developed materials incorporation into different courses and studies

• Sectoral organizations getting involved in research

• SMEs operating within Business Incubators, Innovation Centres and acquire investors, such as venture capital companies

Facilitator – who is that?

• „A facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them without taking a particular position in the discussion.”

• „Facilitation in business, organizational development (OD) and in consensus decision-making refers to the process of designing and running a successful meeting.”

• Wikipedia

HEI and SME facilitatorsPrimary Providers

• Government Programmes• HEI Business Engagement Programmes• Technology Transfer Programmes• Science Innovation Centres NCN• Business Support Units

HEI and SME facilitatorsPrimary Providers

• Non-Governmental Organizations• Enterprise Agencies• Business Incubators• Private Investors: Business Angels, Venture

Capital Organizations

HEI and SME facilitatorsSupporters

• Science Innovation Centres NCN• Business Support Units• Non-Governmental Organizations• Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental

Organizations• Enterprise Agencies• Business Incubators

Government Programmes to engage HEI&SME

• Funds are distributed by managing authorities on the basis of competition

• Proposals are granted according to a competition and quality of proposals measured through points

• Proposals with the highest score are funded• In Poland, among others, the money are

distributed by National Centre of Research and Development

Example

• EUROSTARS – a programme to increase competitiveness of Europe through support of SMEs and HEIs

• Innovative products processes and services on European level

• Facilitation of access to national funds with involvement of international partners for SMEs

HEI Business Engagement Programmes

• Aim to support transfer of knowledge• Suport projects that have chances to be

implemented in economy• Stimulate cooperation between scientist and

entrepreneurs• Increase expenditure for research and

development works• Enhance cooperation between enterprises

and universities

Technology Transfer

• „Technology Transfer is the process of skill transferring, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing and facilities among governments or universities and other institutions to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users who can then further develop and exploit the technology into new products, processes, applications, materials or services. It is closely related to (and may arguably be considered a subset of) knowledge transfer. „

Basic types of Tech Transfer

• “Vertical Technology Transfer”• „Horizontal Technology Transfer”

Technology Transfer Programmes

• Some government programmes are set for funding technology transfer in the market

• Many TTPs are implemented within incubators

• Different countries have different methods for commercial exploitation:

licensing agreements setting up joint ventures and partnerships spin-offs spin-outs

Example

• Technology Fishing Rod - Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education aims to develop new products and technologies based on Polish research-technology achievements

• Programme is addressed to SMEs, research teams, and intermediaries supporting transfer of technology

• Two steps subsidy – research and implementation phase

• Two main modules – for entrepreneurs, universities and scientific units, and for intermediaries

Science Innovation Centres NCN

• HEIs have capacity to produce new technology

• they face obstacles in research and market transfer

• NCN facilitate conduct of research and adjustment to market needs

• Create culture of innovation and entrepreneurship

Science Innovation Centres NCN

• Ensure cooperation between business and academic environments

• Increase accuracy of innovative technologies implementation into economy

• Initiate and rationalize technology transfer from R&D sector into economy

Business Support Units

• Business Support Units provide assistance to SMEs and HEIs cooperation

• BSUs are set within HEIs as specialized cells dedicated to a particular HEI and work in its advantage

• Such BSU are i.e. Chambers of Commerce, which occur in most of the countries

Non-Governmental Organizations

• Often conduct projects to support SMEs cooperation with HEIs

• Provide assistance and consulting to facilitate implementation of SMEs and HEIs projects

• Provide information on current opportunities in funding, and assist in application for funds and conducting projects

Non-Governmental Organizations

• Provide opportunities for networking between HEIs and SMEs with measurable help in the first phase of enterprise development – office on preferential conditions and other incentives

• NGOs operate mostly on local level, which gives a sense of belonging, more engagement in their projects with a strong support of local society and decision makers

Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisations

• Quangos with government devolved powers can be advisory or executive bodies

• Execute central power, i.e. agencies for enterprise development, that support SMEs and innovation

• In Poland there is i.e. Polish Agency for Enterprise Development

Enterprise Agencies

• Have role of integrating body for enterprises and create cooperation opportunities with HEIs

• Offer managed worksapce – relatively cheap office plus service

• Enterprise Europe Network joints 570 organizations of business support from 45 countries, and its aim is help SMEs to use new opportunities of the EU market

Business Incubators

• It iswhere new businesses may find a place which is not expensive to run their venture and develop an idea

• Is an infrastructure available on beneficial basis for business on an early stage

• Its infrastructure includes: telephone, fax, internet and other resources, like training-advisory service, bookkeeping

• Help in finding business partners, applying for funds for running a business, etc.

Private Investors

• Tend to make decisions based on offered financial return, and on liking

• It takes some serious effort to make this kind of investor content

Private InvestorsBusiness Angels

• Business Angels are individuals interested in investing in undertakings with high potential for growth

• They often share also their experience, know-how and skills

• Usually it takes from 10% up to 50% of company’s equity and sometimes management fees

Private InvestorsBusiness Angels

• Def.“Business angels are wealthy, entrepreneurial individuals who provide capital in return for a proportion of your company’s shares. They take a high personal risk in the expectation of owning part of a growing and successful business.”

Private Investors Venture Capital Organizations

• Fund collected from many investors, which is later invested in shares of companies, that usually are not issued in public stock market

• Collected funds may have specified area of investment (i.e. technology, real–estate or ICT) or even region in which investment will be undertaken

• Fund is usually managed by specialized professionals, who are responsible for finding a company to invest in, to provide them with reasonable funds and to minimize risk

Private Investors Venture Capital Organizations

• Is not a debt to to pay back - stream of money is usually exchanged into shares in a venture in which the capital invested

• After success the shares are sold with profit: management usually earns 2% fee a year and 20% of all the sum on investment and the remaining 80% go to the investors