From BIK to TIK by academic/industry networking:

Activities of NMP Networks of Excellence

Patrick NavardMINES Paristech/CNRS/Armines

Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux – CEMEFSophia Antipolis - France

Coordinator of the NMP European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE)

Version 0.5

Outline

I Innovation: a missing link between academic research and industrial exploitation

II NMP Networks of Excellence approaches

III Conclusions

I Innovation: a missing link between academic research and industrial exploitation

What is innovation ?

Innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service), or process, a new marketing method, or a new organisational method in business practices, workplace organisation or external relation.

Firms innovate to improve performances (new or better products, lower costs, ..).

Organising innovation is a pre-condition for technical innovation.

We will focus here on R&D driven innovation coming from academic institutions but the approach is also valid for large companies active in

different not-connected sectors.

The missing link between academia and industry

Academic researchMore than 1.4 million researchersin EU-27

Study on mobility patterns and career paths of EU researchers 2010

Many tools to perform these tasks•Legal•Standardisation•Technology transfer agencies•Clusters•Business nurseries•Networks•etc……

Proposal for two new notions Basic Innovative Knowledge (BIK) Transferable Innovative Knowledge (TIK)

Basic Innovative Knowledge (BIK)• Not simple research results• Importance of novelty and breakthrough• Can be fully or empirically understood

BIK is what scientists are looking for.

Basic Innovative Knowledge: three possibilities1. Not identified or dormant.2. Publication in the best possible journal3. Can be transferred to industry as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge

Basic Innovative Knowledge (BIK) Transferable Innovative Knowledge (TIK)

Basic Innovative Knowledge: three possibilities1- Not identified or dormant.

Very common

2- Publication in the best possible journalThe most profitable attitude for a scientist.

3- Identified as potentially transferable to industry as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge

Why to bother doing this??

Scientists are evaluated on their scientific performances:1. Invitation as key-note lecturers2. Number and quality of publications3. « h » factor, number of citations, etc..

Basic Innovative Knowledge (BIK) Transferable Innovative Knowledge (TIK)

Basic Innovative Knowledge: three possibilities1- Not identified or dormant.

Very common

2- Publication in the best possible journalThe most profitable attitude for a scientist.

3- Identified as potentially transferable to industry as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge

but why to bother doing this??

Scientists have no direct interest in transfering knowledge:1. Time consuming2. Patenting is complicated3. No recognition by scientific community4. Very low chance to earn money

Basic Innovative Knowledge (BIK) Transferable Innovative Knowledge (TIK)

Basic Innovative Knowledge: three possibilities1- Not identified or dormant.

Very common

2- Publication in the best possible journalThe most profitable attitude for a scientist.

3- Identified as potentially transferable to industry as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge Why to bother doing this??

How to help identifying it?

Transforming (BIK) into (TIK), where are the blocking points ?

Dormant knowledge: to wake up dormant knowledge needs strong, close connection of the inventors or a given dormant knowledge with other stake holders able to identify its interest. Segmentation of research knowledge, lack of areas of trustiness are some factors hampering this wake up.

Publications: No incentive to use this potentially Transferable Innovative Knowledge by lack of evaluation of the obstacles by political instances.

Transferable Innovative Knowledge: all the legal, administrative and technical aspects are in place in most EU countries for favoring the transfer of a TIK to a company.

What are the actions taken by NMP Networks of Excellence for helping innovation ?

II NMP Networks of Excellence approaches

Networks of Excellence

Networks of Excellence

FP6 instrument aimed at combating fragmentation in a certain area by integrating a critical mass of resources and expertise.

Creation of more than one hundred of such Networks.

A few networks manage to survive by creating a common structure (mainly of non-profit association type), durable and financially self-sustained.

NMP

• EPNOE (polysaccharides)

• PI (piezoelectric materials)

• eCAM (catalysis and magnetic nanomaterials)

• KMM-VIN (knowledge-based multifunctional materials)

Activities of NMP Networks of Excellence

Basic Innovative Knowledge:1- Not identified or dormant.2- Publication in the best possible journal3- Identified as potentially transferable to industry

as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge

Activities of NMP Networks of Excellence

Basic Innovative Knowledge:1- Not identified or dormant2- Publication in the best possible journal3- Identified as potentially transferable to industry

as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge

• Strengthening of the area of trustiness

• Innovation correspondent in each partner’s institution

• Listing of knowledge and expertise seen as being without interest by authors

• “Brain-storming” and “waking up” sessions with academic and industrial specialists of specific areas

Activities of NMP Networks of Excellence

Basic Innovative Knowledge:1- Not identified or dormant2- Publication in the best possible journal3- Identified as potentially transferable to industry

as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge

• NMP Networks of Expertise are used to work with industry (in 2009, EPNOE academic partners had 270 R&D projects with industry for a total budget > 26M€)

• But it is not changing the evaluation modes of scientists.

Activities of NMP Networks of Excellence

Basic Innovative Knowledge:1- Not identified or dormant2- Publication in the best possible journal3- Identified as potentially transferable to industry

as a Transferable Innovative Knowledge

- Breaking discipline barriers and expanding to new industrial sectors- Identifying industrial needs through surveys and visits to companies

- Identification of European and International companies that might need specific service (joint projects, consultancy for companies, focused training courses and dedicated workshops, patent and IP brokerage, valorisation of research results)

- Communication on available TIK present in the NoE- Organization of workshops - Common databases

III Conclusions

BIK to TIK

• Networks of Excellence are strongly engaged in innovation activities.

• They are novel organisation able to bring together academia and industry

• They are also active in other areas (basic research, education)

• NoE’s had to invent new ways and behaviour for organizing network activities in a sustainable, long term manner.

www.epnoe.eu

Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux

www.cemef.mines-paristech.fr