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CAIRO UNIVERSITY INNOVATION SUPPORT OFFICE: A STATUS REPORTFEBRUARY 2012

Prof. Dr. Galal Hassan Galal-EdeenBSc, BA(Arch), MSc(BSAD), MSc(AAS), PhD, MBCS CITP, CT

Cairo University Chair on Innovation & DirectorEmail: Galal@acm.org

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Agenda

Status. Vision, Mission, Mission Values and

Strategic Aims for the office. Key achievements & impact. Future plans & sustainability.

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A Brief History

Cairo University Council decree no. 28 on 24th June 2009, decreed the establishment of Cairo University Innovation Support and Patent Registration Facilitation Office (CUISO).

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Vision

Cairo University’s Innovation Support Office (CUISO) will be the first port of call for innovators within Cairo University, who wish to validate, evolve or commercially exploit their innovative ideas; it will also be a natural first port of call to members of the Egyptian industry who wish to jointly work on problems with University-based researchers, staff and students.

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Mission

The Innovation Support Office at Cairo University exists to give the best possible institutional support to innovators based in, or collaborating with, Cairo University, and to the transfer of university-generated research and technology to the wider community.

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CUISO Mission Values

1. To maximize the benefit to the Society at large from University research.

2. Balancing incentives for University & Industry to collaborate.

3. To create a University culture favorable to discovery & innovation.

4. To have an impact on the University study programmes to promote discovery, creativity and innovation.

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Key strategic aims-1

1. To create an effective contact point between University and Industry.

2. To initiate and systematize innovation licensing & exploitation activities.

3. To spread awareness among academics and researchers about innovation, collaboration with industry and technology transfer.

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Key strategic aims-2

4. To support Cairo University units (faculty, research centers, etc.) in adopting effective measures to liaising and collaborating with industry.

5. To establish and publicize the relative importance of the various technology transfer options available to University researchers.

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Innovation activities-1

Collaboration with industry: Projects in (Telecom, Agriculture, Health, Tourism).

Result: One student company start-up, four projects with industry (3 Twinning MSc).

Professional training and seminars for industry (e.g. 4 events at TIEC, one at a commercial venue, one at CU by IBM, etc).

Consultancy & training for industry (Oil, Tourism). Students:

Awareness sessions for students & staff: 5 conferences/ seminars.

Student activities & competitions. Help establish one Innovators Club, with intentions

for a University one. Business advice to some.

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Innovation activities-2

University researchers: Training of researchers and university staff on

innovation & creativity: focused training for around 300 trainees.

Focused collaboration with faculties of Medicine, Engineering, Computing and Agriculture.

Government: Meetings with key ministers & related

agencies and centres. Key Public dissemination events: Public

lectures, media appearances and news. Over 40 awareness & dissemination events in the past 18 months.

Wider community: related NGOs

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Innovation activities-3

We developed a staff development course (15 hrs) on innovation & creativity and submitted it, via PSRCR Sector, to the NCFLD for accreditation, working on another on IPR.

We participated in drafting the first University IP policy (for which we now recommend a review).

Based on our training and various other observations and activities, we proposed policies & strategies: a “Cairo University Innovation Support Strategy”. Strategic Principles for Innovation-Boosting

University Curricula Support. Key architectural decisions and policies at the

University, Faculty and Staff levels.

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Sustainability

Applied to TEMPUS to fund a project on entrepreneurship education & training.

Developed a sustainability request to Univ. management.

Income generation: working with Politecnico di Milano School of Management on a Master in Management and Production of Building Materials (for Italcementi group, a company operating in Suez, Egypt).

We are on the verge of securing one PhD scholarship, two MSc scholarships and three post-doctoral positions through applying for funding by the USAid (the Cairo Initiative).

We have received expressions of interest to develop training for industry on innovation (TIEC, IMC).

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Technology Transfer activities A template to represent the success

stories of collaboration between the academia to motivate further collaboration between the two parties.

Innovator support (basic metrics values): Number of innovative ideas/ inventions

disclosures: 5 Number of inventions/ patents to be

commercialized: 3 Number of cases asking for other services:

2 Number of patents filed: 2 Number of ongoing cases: 5 Number of closed cases: 3

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Other Achievements:

The sustained development and management of a dedicated web site: www.innovate.cu.edu.eg

The establishment of a Facebook group (innovation.Cairo), a Youtube channel (CUISOTube), and a Twitter account.

Developing a dedicated database with over 1000 entries.

Two newsletters, and a “Services Offered” leaflet.

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Impact on target groups-1 Industry:

Greater awareness of the value of open innovation and for the utility of good problem and market analyses (new techniques), through training and seminars.

Good examples of successful industry-university collaboration on innovative problem solving (health, agro, telecom, etc.).

Improved understanding of innovation opportunity framing.

Academia: Some improved mechanisms for connecting

with industry. Improved researcher understanding of the value

of problem-oriented research & relevance to needs (we need to do more here..., including building business incubators)

Better linkages with MEDA and EU universities.

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Impact on target groups-2

Students: Improved research & problem solving

skills leading to innovation and possible commercial exploitation and/or added value to society.

Greater enthusiasm & buzz from students to innovate and to become entrepreneurs (having seen their peers so succeed).

The Public: A series of pubic events: participation in

conferences, TV and Radio appearances, we hope, have contributed to improving the public understanding of the importance of university-industry link and innovation.

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A student start-up! (based on our work)

21-Dec-11

CU Technology Transfer Division

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Examples of recognition

21-Dec-11

CU Technology Transfer Division

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Looking ahead…(future plans)

Formal staff training on innovation and Sector-focused visits & talks promoting innovation & TT (after new IP policy is set).

Pushing for wider adoption of recommended innovation support policies @ University level.

Planning a Professional Diploma on Innovation. Strategic partnerships with key organizations

(e.g. other HE institutions, TIEC, technology brokers, UNIDO).

Further Strategic Business Planning and a Legal Framework for the TT function.

Recommendations for reviewing the University’s IPR policy.

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Innovation Training for Professionals (SAMS)

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Professional Innovation Training (UNCHAIN consortium members)

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Scientists of the Next Generation (SNG) Innovation Training

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A talk to fresher students (FCI)

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Workshop by an international organization for Industry Executives: “Innovatingand Designing Products and Services for the Emerging Markets”, led by: Apala Chavan, VP of Human Factors International.

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Professional ideation training workshop (TIEC)

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Supporting Individual Innovators (innovator, domain expert & TT officer)

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Public talks (Culture Wheel)

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Public talks (Culture Wheel-2)

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Declaration

‘These projects have been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.’

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Questions

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