Translating intellectual assets into impact – Building innovation capacity with support from SAFIPA

Nicki KoorbanallyR&D Outcomes ManagerMeraka Institute

19 October 2011

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

Emerging from the crisis in Africa

“What would it take for Africa to create the jobs needed to absorb the growing youth population, grow incomes and increase

prosperity for all? One of the main answers to this question is INNOVATION.

For Africa to claim its place in emerging economies, it must adopt and invent new ideas and technologies to create value.”

Innovation for Growth in Africa – Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director, World Bank, April 2011

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

CSIR Meraka Institute

VISION

The vision is that Meraka will be recognised for the contribution that its

Research, Development and Innovation (R,D&I) in information and

communication technology and cyber-infrastructure has made in accelerating

South Africa's development towards an Information Society, where

everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge to

their individual and collective benefit.

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

CSIR Meraka Institute• A unit of the CSIR: - Impact through research, development (R&D) and

Innovation in the information and communication technology (ICT) and the application thereof

• Established in April 2005 – now the largest concentration of ICT Researchers in South Africa- 247 staff and students in two main locations in

Pretoria and Cape Town- Active international R&D collaboration with partners

in Africa, Europe and Asia

• CSIR Meraka Institute produces:- Local experts in ICT- Local ICT technology- Local innovations

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Why focus on innovation?

OECD (2004) describes innovation & creativity as essential for sustainable growth & economic development. Several core conditions must exist:

• Strong standards, sound policies, open trade

• Effective enforcement of IP protection

• Investment in strong, sustainable fundamental R&D infrastructure

• Mechanisms to promote the science-innovation interface, &

• Education at all levels

Further emphasis on IP protection as a central public policy pillar on which knowledge-based industries and global markets of the 21st Century rest, providing an increasingly critical legal and policy toolkit for spurring innovation, for stimulating the investments needed to develop and market new innovations, and for diffusing technology and other knowledge in socially beneficial ways.

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

SAFIPA Project - Our approach

• Project driven by R&D Outcomes Team supported by South African and Finnish Experts

• IP Management and Technology Transfer- Integral part of the R&D process- It is about responsible R&D management- It is a shared responsibility

• Change behaviour- Training and awareness- Providing resources- Simplicity of engagement

• Innovate or stagnate- Keep up or get left behind – the world is constantly moving- Innovation is fun- Demystifying innovation - “The perception of the creative process

is still based on images of inspired geniuses having Eureka moments rather than the well-managed diligence of ordinary people!”

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

“The perception of the creative process is still based on images of inspired geniuses having

Eureka moments rather than the well-managed diligence of ordinary people.

We think of INNOVATION not as the mysterious gift of the talented few, but as the everyday task

of connecting things that don't normally go together. That means taking risks, pushing the

envelope and challenging the status quo”.Moment, Momentum Publication

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

Inspired geniuses

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Managing diligence of ordinary people

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The Stanford way

“The way we work is our most important innovation.”

R, D & I Approach

Enabling a healthy and sustainable “pipeline” across the entire innovation value chain

Adaptation of TATA Innometer model

Idea Generation Conversion Diffusion

Renewal/Emerging Research

Human CapitalDevelopment

Intellectual Assets

Research Advancement

Technology Transfer &Commercialisation

In-house Cross Cutting External Selection Development Spread

Intellectual Asset Management An asset is something that needs to be used in order

to be an “asset” Intellectual Asset Management is the process of

consistently turning knowledge into value…

2Secure

3Protect

4Exploit

1Create

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

Why focus on intellectual assets and impact

We need to translate our knowledge, experience and insight into solutions that impact on society

In other words, our core capability must transform from developing new knowledge, to consistently translating new knowledge into impact

Increase customer and stakeholder confidence through value creation, ability to demonstrate impact, and optimal return on investment

Improve financial sustainability through diverse income streams

Position as a credible, reputable organisation and to attract, retain and develop talent

Better positioning for innovation

• Alignment of TTO, business development and strategic research management

• Research initiated with a clear purpose of the end-goals and beneficiaries

• Techniques to promote idea generation and renewed pipeline, eg. Foresighting

• Continuous awareness about innovation and intellectual asset management – communication!

• Increasing awareness of exploitation models: open source software licensing, cross licensing, patenting

• Generating income from open source software

• Introduction of market driven initiatives such as working in Living Lab environments

• Rewards & recognition to align with the innovation strategy

• CSIR excellence awards• Reward & recognition scheme

The Internet is based on a layered, end-to-end model that allows people at each level

of the network to innovate free of any central control.

By placing intelligence at the edges rather than control in the middle of the network, the

Internet has created a platform for innovation.

Vinton Cerf - Internet - Innovation

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

Activities• Baseline/landscape review at Meraka

- Position paper- Formulate workplan for Finnish Expert

• Internal Workshops and Training- Intellectual Asset Management- Open Source- IPR Act and its implications- Management buy-in/support- Project Management

• External activities- Knowledge exchange trip to Finland in Nov 2009- British Council African Knowledge Transfer Partnership - Licensing Executives Society Conference in April 2010- Innovation Summit Aug 2010- Presented Lessons Learned at RDI Conference in Oct 2010

Output achievements

• Position paper on how to translate R&D outputs into socio-economic impact- Holistic approach to managing intellectual assets, from idea to

impact- Alignment of Outcomes, Business Development and Strategic

Research Management- Research initiation with clear end goals and beneficiaries

• Technology Transfer Manual

• Toolkit- Templates and guidelines- Technology readiness tool

• IP Models to comply with IPR Act

• Innovation Handbook- Success stories- Case studies- Stimulating creativity and idea generation- Informally communicating policies- Awareness creation

Inventor

Contractpartner

Meraka /CSIR

NIPMO

Mini inventiondisclosure

IP ownerby contract

terms

Negotiation ofIP rights

CSIR inventiondisclosure

IPdecisions

Inventionevaluation

partner

Meraka/CSIR

IP rights to partner

Protectionactivities

IP rights

Licensing,also 3rd party

reporting

IP rights to inventor IP rights to inventor

Technology Transfer Manual

© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

Innovation Handbook• Address researchers on an individual level

• Focus on innovation culture and motivation

• Use of case studies and role models - Cannot exploit without external partners- Identify potential partners early on / involve

regularly- Understand IP is the currency for managing

relationships - cannot leave key IP decisions until the end - different players demand/require different approaches

- Role of Outcomes stage gate is to early on identify potential applications, partners and commercial opportunities

• Filled with stories, puzzles, brain teasers, and

valuable information and facts

• Available to all

'Innovation by definition will not be accepted

at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless

demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals

before innovation can be accepted and

internalized by an organization. This

requires 'courageous patience'. '

Warren Bennis

Acknowledgements

- SAFIPA and CSIR

- Meraka SRM (Outcomes) team

- Communications - Biffy van Rooyen

- Technical experts - Dr Kari Leppala and

Stephan Lamprecht

Contact details: Nicki KoorbanallyTelephone +27 12 841 4532Email nkoorbanally@csir.co.zaWeb www.csir.co.za