FROM RESEARCH TO INNOVATION Commerc ia l i za t ion cha l lenges in b i -la tera l cooperat ion for innovat ion: new f ront iers in b io -polymers

Mateja Dermastia, CEO, Anteja ECG d.o.o. www.anteja-ecg.com

P r e - c o n f e r e n c e p o l i c y w o r k s h o p : To w a r d s e n h a n c e d E U - U S i n n o v a t i o n c o l l a b o r a t i o n t h r o u g h p o l i c y m e a s u r e s Brussels: January 14th, 2015

Introduction

1.  National R&D and innovation policy - CE PoliMaT

2 . Bi-lateral cooperation with city of AKRON - Main reasons

3.  From bi-lateral cooperation towards global innovation network - GBN as global strategic partnership

4.  Better policy framework conditions to support transatlantic innovation cooperation – US and SLO reflection

National R&D and innovation policy - CE PoliMaT

•  Programme: –  Center of Excellence –  Structural Funds ERDF

•  CE PoliMaT 2010 – 2013 –  Founders: 22 private firms, SMEs, public research

institutions – cluster like organization –  Focused on research and innovation in the filed of

polymer materials and technologies –  Investment: 10 mio EUR structural funds ERDF

CE PoliMaT “2013+ Strategy” puts biopolymers and bio based materials into the focus

Leveraging the transformative power of biopolymers requires new partners and new ways of global

science, technology and innovation collaboration

Akron  Boston   Feedstock  

Applica/ons  

Bio‐Based materials  

Health  

Biopolymers applications in health and medical devices

CE PoliMaT Challenges

•  Scientific excellence but not sufficient skills and support services for rapid technology commercialization

•  Transformation of RDTI processes to make new product development dramatically faster and less costly e.g. acceleration of innovation: –  Reduction of lead times and speed up problem solving –  Fast feedbacks of the market on R&D projects ideas with potential for

commercialization –  Working with platforms to harnesses user feedback to improve the final

product –  Access to new bio based value chains and venture capital –  Soft-landing in US for rapid technology commercialization: new firms,

JV, Strategic partnerships

Fact-finding missions to Boston, Cambridge, Akron, June 2012

•  Int’l Conference on Technology and Innovation for global development, Harvard Kennedy School Cambridge, MA

•  Meetings on world health, medical devices, Mass General Hospital, ABIA, Children's Hospital

Recognition of high potential: Transatlantic collaboration on

biopolymers and bio-based material in health and medical

devices

Focus on ways to exploit “complementarity” between and among the participating entities

CE PoliMaT matched with City of Akron •  Scientific collaboration partner in Europe that enables the expand of

the University of Akron to Europe and EU funds. •  The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, Ohio (ABIA) promotes

value added engineering and accelerates transnational research to biomedical commercialization with Int’l partners

•  The Akron Global Business Accelerator is home to one of the US’s top performing technology business incubators and offer support to soft landing to young companies

•  Greater Cleveland – largest Slovenia diaspora outside Europe

EU-US Cooperation in Polymer Materials and Technologies – Technology bridge Responsible for innova/on, collabora/on, opportunity and coopera/on, and to facilitate the movement of research, commercializa/on and resources between interna/onal partners.   

Project BONE REGENERATION  ‐ Exploring Complementaries  

Post opera.ve Inter opera.ve  4 w post op 

All photos provided by Ma: Becker, UA 

New Material  New tes.ng methods   Freedom of opera.ons studies, patents, new firm  

New regional and international cooperation models have been emerging

•  integrating industry and academia along the whole innovation value chain

•  creating new cross-sector interconnections,

•  supporting cross-industry clusters, and

•  successfully facilitating international partnerships, networks, and investments.

•  Bi-lateral cooperation with the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, Ohio (ABIA)

•  Turning bi-lateral cooperation into long-term strategic partnership and broader base - Global Biopolymer Network (GBN)

Global Network for Local Growth GLOBAL BIOPOLYMER NETWORK

“ The world is indeed entering the age of international science and technology diplomacy where countries that never thought had much in common are ! nding themselves working together to solve some of the world’s challenging economic, social and ecological problems.”" Prof. Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science,

Technology, Globalization Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/project/39/

science_technology_and_globalization.html

http://www.pccl.at/en/

JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/

http://en.polimat.si/http://www.abiakron.org/

http://www.vdivde-it.de/

From innovation partners towards long-term strategic partnerships

Policy Reflection from US

•  Leveraging the transformative power of biopolymers invites new ways of collaborative science, technology and innovation.

•  High potential for transatlantic collaboration on biopolymers and bio-based material in health and medical devices.

•  Bi-lateral efforts between CE PoliMaT and ABIA interfaced national level innovation policy in Slovenia with city-level policy in Akron.

•  Focused on ways to exploit “complementarity” between and among the participating entities.

•  Engaged respective institutional and commercial networks associated with the corresponding “value chain” for market-oriented innovation.

•  Appropriate policy framework needed to support transatlantic innovation cooperation.

•  New tools of policy analysis available provide better understanding of bilateral innovation roadmap.

Policy Reflection from Slovenia

•  Peer review of policies in US and EU regions •  Benchmarking of US and EU partners institutions •  Needs assessment and complementary •  Open innovation arena: cross clustering, cross regional

–  Joint innovation agenda with involvement of investors in timing corresponding to the various stages of technology development and product formulation.

–  Engaging respective institutional and commercial networks associated with the corresponding value chain

•  Secretariat and management of transatlantic cooperation –  Specialized services –  Professionalization of transatlantic cooperation

Thank you !

Anteja ECG d.o.o. Lambergarjeva 8 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia 

Tel: +386 51 389 533 +386 1 28 11 312

E-mail: info@anteja-ecg.com

Http://www.anteja-ecg.com