complexeit wp 2 esf – emf – e-mrs report: entrepreneurship programmes in european universities...

ComplexEIT WP 2ESF – EMF – E-MRS report:

Entrepreneurship Programmes in European Universities for Scientists

and Engineers

Patrick BresslerEuropean Science Foundation (ESF)Physical and Engineering Sciences

Hermann GrimmeissEuropean Materials Forum and Lund University

Patrick Bressler ESF

Entrepreneurship – the emergence of business opportunities

Sankaran Venkataraman & Scott Shane

”Entrepreneurship is a scholarly field that seeks to understandhow opportunities to bring into existence ”future” goods andservices are discovered, created, and exploited, by whom, andwith what consequences.”Academy of Management Review, 2000, 25(1), 217-226

Citation: courtesy Marie Löwegren, Jonas Gabrielsson, Hans Landström, Lund University


Development BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Discover/Resources/Exploitation

NEW VENTURES INTRAPRENEURSHIP

Time

IdentifyDiscover Organize Exploitation MANAGEMENTCreate resources

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS CYCLES

Courtesy Marie Löwegren, Jonas Gabrielsson, Hans Landström, Lund University


• OECD definitions of Research and Development:– Research (basic and/or applied) is an original

investigation activity to produce new knowledge– Development is a systematic activity to combine

existing knowledge and know-how to produce new processes, products, services

– Innovation consists in combining financial, logistical, marketing,…and some technological ... aspects to increase competitivity

Research does not normally produce financial returns, Development has risks but can produce returns,Innovation must produce returns

OECD definition: courtesy Carlo Rizzuto, Sincrotrone Trieste & ESFRI

“However, there is still about 90% Development activity “hidden” in Research: indirect results and business models out of research activities for spin outs”

Entrepreneurship training for scientists/engineers is not taking a BA course in the economics department

SAME WORDS HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGSE.g.: “INNOVATION”:

to an economist: “a product that sells better” to a scientist: “an idea that is new/creative”


Next step: understanding Europe and the European Commission:

COLOR CODE ON THE NEXT SLIDES ON EC – DECLARATIONS: RED: words scientists like to hear BLUE: words politicians like to use



EC Greenpaper on the European Research Area, Introduction:

“In 2000, the EU decided to create the European Research Area (ERA) to:• enable researchers to benefit from world-class infrastructures and

work with excellent networks of research institutions; • share, teach, value and use knowledge effectively for social, business

and policy purposes; • optimise and open European, national and regional research

programmes in order to support the best research throughout Europe and coordinate these programmes to address major challenges together;

• enable Europe to contribute to global development and take a leading role in international initiatives to solve global issues.”

Use of red and blue words is balanced


Next chapter:The Goals for ERA:

• “To enhance research careers in Europe, incite industry to invest more in European research – contributing to the creation of sustainable growth and jobs in the EU.”

• “To become a central pillar of the EU 'Lisbon

Strategy' for growth and jobs.”

Green paper: (http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/consultation-era_en.html#greenpaper)


Finally, EC describes what the Framework Programme 7 is for:

“FP 7 (2007 – 2013) is to implement ERA”• “make Europe the knowledge-based "most dynamic

competitive economy in the world"…(Lisbon goals, 3% GDP etc).

• to bundle all research-related EU initiatives in reaching the goals of growth, competitiveness and employment; along with a new Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), Education and Training programmes, and Structural and Cohesion Funds for regional convergence and competitiveness…”

Red words are gone !?

Refocussing specific training for scientists and engineers:Entrepreneurship programmes at universities

Selected examples: University of Oxford, UKLund University, Sweden

Ecole Polytechnique Federale LausanneKarlsruhe Institute of Technology


• Methodology:on-site interviewsincluding short presentations and in-depth discussion based on the hand-out questionnaire

• Topics/areas:Entrepreneurship trainingSpin-out policy & support IP rights and benefitsSuccess factorsEIT added value


All institutes/universities:• run dedicated (voluntary) entrepreneurship courses for students

at BA, MA, and PhD level.• operate dedicated offices to provide guidance and support to

university or institute members to create/found start-ups• operate IPR/patent support offices that cover their expenses

through IP revenue• operate closely with “Science Parks” to continue support and

guidance for companies after launching• find success rates < 90% for spin-outs after 5 years• stated that spin-out failures resulted from lack of management

skills


EPFL LU KIT OxfordTuition/year 1000 CHF None 1000€ 3000£Entrepreneurship training

10 courses 250 hrs

160 Hours 150 hrs over 4 semester

3 courses 48 hrs per year

Spin-out support/ university funds

GrantsNo funds

No funds GrantsFund pool*

Fund pool (ISIS)

No. spin-outs /year

8 (20% by students)

20 (10%) 25** (50%) 5-6 (0%)

Patent rights owned by

university Inventor university university

Patent revenue ~1 mill. CHF 0 Skr ~1.5 mill. € ~1.2 mill. £Venture capital collected

~50 mill.CHF 0 Skr 0 € 40 mill. £/year



Different cultures and values in engineering and sciencesScientists appreciate:

Ideas (“Innovation”)

Intellectual property

Financial security

Peer approval

Being so successful/making so much money to never need to apply for funding again

Scientists fear (avoid):

Marketing

Sales

Timelines

Pricing

Explaining things simply to investors

People ‘stealing their ideas’

New paradigms needed for entrepreneurship training Compilation based on Fiona Reed, Oxford Science Enterprise, talk March 13, 2007


Academic training and university entrepreneurship: • Academic outputs are new knowledge, talented people

• Commercialising new knowledge works better with talented people who also understand business

• Is culturally specific to the research environment and

requires careful yet courageous approaches

• Requires tailored seeding and transition schemes

• Integrate other disciplines that work closely with industryCompilation based on Fiona Reed, Oxford Science Enterprise, talk March 13, 2007

• Career perspectives are changing in Europe• Universities will want the best talents for research

and academic careersBUT

most students of science and engineering will move to enterprises and will not remain in academic positions

• In the European Research Area there will be more need/more opportunities for scientist-entrepreneurs


“In Europe there is a• very strong culture of risk aversion• lack of venture capital• lack of engagement/commitment by highly

trained scientists. Career expectations are set too strongly on staying in academia at PhD student and postdoc level.

• lack of public appreciation of spinouts/start-ups and SMEs in Europe.”


An EIT can do more for Europe in this field


• EIT should pool significant funds for spinouts/start-ups.

• EIT should focus first and foremost on highest quality research. Excellent business opportunities always follow suit.

• Entrepreneurship training at an EIT will create/promote more diversity in themes and more internationality.

• KICs/EIT programmes ~10 years – 5 years too short.


HERMANN GRIMMEISS (EMF & Lund University)PATRICK BRESSLER (ESF)

special thanks to EMRS - HQPaul Siffert, Sylvette Pfister,and ESF-PESC office, i.e.: Nathalie Geyer

complexeit wp 2 esf – emf – e-mrs report: entrepreneurship programmes in european universities...

Documents

research activities

competitivity research

research careers

best research

european research area

regional research programmes

lund university slide

research basic andor