Transferring university technology and knowledge … an example @univpm

1. Università Politecnica delle Marche Dipartimento di Ingegneria Informatica, Gestionale e dell’Automazione Transferring university technology and knowledge … an example @univpm Sauro Longhi sauro.longhi@univpm.it Knowledge Economy Forum (KEF VII) on “Technology Absorption by Innovative Small and Medium Enterprises”

2. Outline: Engineering Faculty: short presentation Student projects: to introduce in the technology complexity Recent results on the creation of spin-off companies My personal experience and activities on start-up activities Examples: ALPIQUADRO IDEA SPES

3. @ UNIVPM Engineering Faculty 8 Departments - Basic Sciences- Industrial Engineering- Civil / Environment Engineering - Architecture- Information Engineering ≈ 6000 students 11 Laurea courses (1st level) (bachelor degree) 12 Laurea magistrale (2nd level) (master degree) ≈ 160 Professors / Assistants

4. 8 Departments: • Many different research activities in the related field of Science and Engineering • Many different laboratories • Many scientific collaborations with national and international universities • Many PhD courses structured in a Doctoral School in “Science of Engineering”

5. Recent policy: to improve constructive interactions between University and Small and Medium Enterprises by co-founding PhD fellowships (in high-tech fields) (50% costs by University; 50% cost by SME) Results: enhancement of PhD fellowships number extension of research activities to integrate specific activities proposed by SMEs improvement of the collaboration/cooperation between University and SMEs (an implicit knowledge transferring: the collaborations imply the transferring in high-tech fields)

6. Example : • Vehicles with zero emission and with a low environment impact: development of propulsion and guidance systems • FAAM SpA (PhD student Matteo Cavalletti) • Dipartimento di Ingegneria Informatica, Gestionale e dell’Automazione(prof. S. Longhi) Development ofelectrical vehicles with innovative propulsion and guidance systems, with main task to increase the autonomy, reliability and security.

7. Electrical vehicle powered by full cells with hydrogen alimentation: • autonomy of 150 Km • -- intelligent control of hydrogen consumption • --- Municipality of Beijing for 2008 Olympic Games Project developed in collaboration with and our PhD students

8. Student projects: it is a productive opportunity for introducing master students in the technologies complexity and in the project management aspects (high-tech fields) International student competition: robot competition for developing a complex project, with hard constrains (time, costs, efforts, …) Extra curricula activities: a “simulation context” for introducing to real industry activities, to real project management, to promote development activities (spin-off) (a simulation on technical aspects for the creation of hitch-technology companies)

9. Not only technical aspects: an international student competition requires the implementation of a rigorous project management

10. 2008 EUROBOT: mission to Mars Student projects Traiano: the design and the development of a mobile robot (mechanical, electronics, automatics, …)

11. Back stage activities Games activities Scientific conference activities Some activities @ EUROBOT: mission to Mars May 2008, Heidelberg - Germany

12. Recent results on the creation of University spin-off companies In the last years, the grow of research activities, laboratories at our University, has contributed to the creation of many different small enterprises in our Marche Region through the start-up of many spin-offs 17 spinoffs @ UNIVPM in the last few years 3 at my department in the last two years

13. Automatic multi-sensorial system for obstacle Detection, Recognition, Tracking and Avoidance (marine field) My personal experience: Contribution to the creation of spinoffs ALPIQUADRO (September 2008) IDEA (May 2007) SPES (February 1977) Domotics applications for power management An example of success: a complete presentation by the next talk

14. IDEA spinoff: No complex infrastructures, but only “distribution” of knowledge IDEA Laboratory at our Department (innovative domotic application: domestic power management) UNIVPM does not implement a structured enterprises, incubator, but it supports some facilities (reduced costs for laboratories, Internet, service, …) No administrative costs of the company are supported: we use an external agency (2÷3 keuro for year)

15. UNIVPM contributions to start-up activities: • to support the design of the business plan • to facility the technologies and methodologies acquisition • to finalize the activities of young researchers on • the first steps of a spinoff creation (close interactions with professors and senior researchers) • to support laboratories activities (high-tech fields) The members of the last two spinoffs are the winners of the last regional business plan competitions e_capital: 2006 and 2007 http://www.ecapital.it/

16. An competition open to all University Students for presenting a business plan for transforming an idea (innovative service, system, device, product, …) in a enterprise!!! The winners are support (no costs) for educational activities in business administration

17. Theorem The “condensation” of technical knowledge in an idea of business is only a “sufficient” condition, a “necessary” condition is to have money for the exploitation of this idea. The role of the University of the success of a spinoff company: (in high-tech fields) • To improve its main activities: the researches development in high-tech fields • To promote contacts with possible industrial and financial partners • To support activities in business administration

18. ==> Funding for the different stages: • seed money (start up), • technology and market development (early stage), • market roll out and technology refinements to improve functionality and reduce engineering cost (growth stage) The challenge is to provide "nice" money at start up and early stage avoiding that the founders introduce many constraints for the last stage. • ==> Value drivers are: • Technology (file patent if possible) • Market potential (what is unique) • Profitability (good price and low engineering cost give good margin) • Organization. Management team is crucial.

19. All these aspects are important !!! ==> Equal focus on technology and market development already from the beginning. You should expect to spend more money on market development than technology R&D!!!! The main suggestion of my colleague with a positive experience of spin-off start-up in Norway .

20. We need of “Hunters of Innovations” To increment the number of “hunters” To increment the number and typology of “arrows” To increment the power of the “bow” Thank you!!! sauro.longhi@univpm.it