Technology & Innovation Support for Companies

1. Technology & Innovation Support for Companies 23 November 2006 Julie Cunnington SMARTCymru Programme Executive

2. Contents • Context for technology & innovation support • Support for small/medium sized companies • Support for large companies • Criteria for support • Case studies

3. Technology & Innovation Group Innovation is the principal key to the prosperity of companies in Wales. The Technology & Innovation Group is devoted to helping innovators, businesses and academics in Wales succeed through the application, management and development of innovative ideas and new technologies.

4. Wales for Innovation Underpinning this drive for technological improvement and inspired innovation is "Wales for Innovation", the Welsh Assembly Governments action plan for innovation. (£260m over 3 years)

5. The SMARTCymru aim… Encouraging and supporting innovators to carry out and exploit research and development (R&D) that has real commercial potential

6. Who can access SMARTCymru? SMARTCymru services are open to all eligible individuals and businesses who aim to create new products and processes through investment in technologically innovative R&D in Wales ….Including large companies

7. Support for small & medium sized companies

8. SME criteria

9. SMARTCymru – Innovation and R & D INNOVATION ROUTE MARKET CONCEPT Tech Inv. ITC / WIN Technology review Tech Collab. WIN Structured Devel. Plan DD - Design & Development Exploitation Commercialisation TCF - Technical & Commercial Feasibility Pre Competitive Development Industrial Research CONCEPT MARKET R & D ROUTE

10. SMARTCymru SME Funding

11. Support for large companies

12. SMARTCymru Large Company Funding In all cases, large company support must be cleared through the team at the earliest opportunity.

13. SMARTCymru Criteria

14. What we seek in a SMARTCymru application • Innovation Novelty, IPR, Technical risk • Company Viable, able to support project • Significant presence in Wales • Market Exploitation, Business Plan • Additionality Grant essential for project • Wider View Project good for Wales

15. SMARTCymru is: • Unique in the UK • - ‘Open for business’ anytime – non-competitive • - Flexible and quick • - Project specific • - Pan-Wales • - Single company support (not collaborative • research) • - Revenue costs based support • Salaries & additional overheads • Consultancy & sub-contract • Materials

16. SMARTCymru is NOT: • ‘Operating Aid’ • Rescue aid • Capital equipment based • Linked to job creation in a formulaic way • (though it is important) • European Objective 1 / 2 or Assisted Area • dependant • Available for the routine or periodic changes to products, production lines, manufacturing processes, existing services and other operations in progress, even though such changes may represent improvement

17. Case Studies

18. SPIRAL SCRATCH: Background • Spiral Scratch formed in 2002 as a Unilever spin out company • Received SMART DTI grant in 2003 • Company originally set up in Merseyside – won “Campus Ventures” and Merseyside Innovation Award” in 2004 • Decided on move to OpTIC in 2005, to help take company further

19. Spiral Scratch: 3D camera technology

20. SMARTCymru Support Phase 1: Technical & Commercial Feasibility Assisted Spiral Scratch to investigate and assess technical and commercial viability of the new 3D camera technology Spiral Scratch awarded £15k TCF grant July 05 (phase cost £21K) - to carry out • Initial market research • Patent checks • Validation of Intellectual Property Rights • Desk research The resultant Technical & Commercial Feasibility Report (October 05) confirmed the technical promise, and identified games consoles such as Sony Playstation as the market to address

21. SMARTCymru Support Phase 2: Industrial Research Spiral Scratch used the IR phase to develop the 3D camera technology, to produce a basic functional camera Spiral Scratch awarded £57k IR grant December 05 (phase cost £94k) • Technical design finalised • Basic device developed Work completed July 06 - Spiral Scratch now in a position to demonstrate their camera system to Sony in December ’06. Company has decided to also produce supporting software for the camera, 3 engineers being recruited Venture capitalist confidence in the company continuing to grow

22. SMARTCymru Support Phase 3: Pre-competitive Development Spiral Scratch has just started their PCD phase, to develop a pre-production prototype of their games console 3D camera system Spiral Scratch awarded £143K PCD grant October 06 (phase cost £410K) – the deliverables will be: • Final prototype of the 3D camera • Associated control software for incorporation onto games applications Work will be completed October 07. 3D camera system, and games applications should then be available for consoles such as Sony Playstation 3. Company is looking to move to larger office/manufacturing facility in St Asaph business Park

23. SMARTCymru Support Phase 4: Exploitation Spiral Scratch intend to use the Ex phase to help to introduce their new 3D camera product to market Once the PCD phase is complete, Spiral Scratch can apply for up to a £20K grant, to support: • Testing certification and/or registration • Licencing • Marketing • Promotion • Technology transfer

24. Case Study 2IRN – US-owned large company • 1st project for £3.25m grant finished. • Project specific – developing new technology • platform to develop advanced, variable power • integrated circuits (ICs). • The project objectives were to acquire knowledge of this cutting-edge technology; and to use this knowledge to design and prototype ICs for energy-saving domestic applications. • Results include the safeguarding of 67 highly skilled jobs and

25. Julie Cunnington+ 44 29 2082 874207717 814197Thanks / DiolchAny questions?