university-industry relationships for innovation (success and challenges) wipo-crui training program...

University-Industry Relationships For Innovation

(Success and Challenges)

WIPO-CRUI Training Program on Intellectual Property and Management in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Spin-off

and Research Centers Rome, March 2006

Michael [email protected]

[email protected]

March-2006 (c) Eldredge 2

Personal Background

• Fuzz Artists– New, angel-funded technology and entertainment start-up– Founder, Managing Director and CTO

• Stanford University Networking Research Center– University / Industry research and innovation collaboration– Chief Executive Director

• Manugistics, Inc.; Talus Inc.– Enterprise software– VP, Technology Innovation and Development

• Decision Focus– Management consulting– Partner

• Centric Engineering Solutions– Supercomputer-based computational design applications

• Engineering Software Products– First company


Stanford University and the Networking Research Center


Stanford University

• Stanford University opened its doors in October 1891• The 8,000 acre campus is in the heart of the Silicon Valley• There are 6,640 undergraduates• There are 7,540 graduate students• There are 1,700 tenure-line faculty• There are 8,243 staff members• There are 7 schools:

– Humanities & Sciences– Engineering– Medicine– Business– Law– Earth Sciences– Education


The Stanford School of Engineering

• 220 faculty in nine departments• Exceptional faculty includes 17 Nobel

laureates, 4 Pulitzer Prize winners, 128 members of the National Academy of Sciences and 83 members of the National Academy of Engineering.

• Highly qualified student body includes 81 Rhodes Scholars, 59 Marshal Award winners and 44 Truman Scholars

• Stanford is the gateway to Silicon Valley• Diverse, open environment

An interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approach to research is well established at Stanford

An interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approach to research is well established at Stanford


Stanford / Industry Relationship Opportunities

• Technology Licensing• Contract Research• Research Grants• Affiliates Programs• Research Centers• Stanford Center for Professional Development• Corporate Philanthropy

SNRC, CIS, SPRC, SNF, CIFE, …SNRC, CIS, SPRC, SNF, CIFE, …


Stanford Networking Research Center

Strategic Objectives• Promote strong Stanford / Industry interaction in

emerging information technology areas• Accelerate technology development through research,

education and partnership • Provide world-class academic leadership in networking

and communication technologies

If there is great work, then everyone will benefit.

Support great work… by great students… who go on to be the leaders in teaching, industry research and business.

If there is great work, then everyone will benefit.

Support great work… by great students… who go on to be the leaders in teaching, industry research and business.


Stanford Networking Research Center

• Partnership between Stanford and Industry– Industry funding and guidance

• Mission: Research, Education, Transfer

• Various programs to promote research, education, interaction, transfer

– Major research projects, Industry Mentor Program, Seminars, Researchers-In-Residence, CTO Vision Roundtables, Internships, …

• Research projects types:• Major, multi-disciplinary projects• Targeted projects

• School of Engineering and Departments– 220 Faculty in 9 Departments with over 25

Faculty, and about 80 PhD Students active– Electrical Engineering, Computer Science,

Management Science, Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, …


The Partnership Agreement

• Partnership Purpose– Support of work going on at Stanford

• Definition– Funding is: A Gift; Not Sponsored Project (no financial

accountability, no T&C for delivery, …)

• Intellectual Property– Inventions, Patents, …– Ownership

Simple, straightforwardSimple, straightforward


Results and Impact Overview

• Approx. 30 engineering Professors and 80 PhD students involved in research projects

• 11 major multi-disciplinary, multi-year research projects from 2000 – 2005

• 23 Industry mentored student programs funded (45 student-academic years)

• Over 250 high-quality research papers published• 26 PhD degrees granted (4 with co-advisors)• 8 inventions filed with the Stanford Technology Licensing Office• $10MM+ endowment contributions that has already funded/is

funding 5 Faculty Development chairs, 20 Graduate Fellowships• Support/contribution to recruiting of new faculty• Regular Industry, Special and Student-run Seminars• Leading edge public symposia (co-sponsored VC partner)


Staying “Fresh” – A Dynamic Organization Must Adapt


SNRC – Evolution

# 3 ???

Telcomm Center

NetworkingResearch

Center“# 1”

NetworkingResearch

Center“# 2”


What Is Next For SNRC?

• Great success. So what is the next strategic step?– More of the same?– Or change?

• Much has changed– Economy has changed since 1999-2000– Faculty vs. company initiative– Networking is infused across products and services and is

much less “cutting edge” research– Company needs and foci have changed

• Some constants– University research and education still has core needs– University leadership role still strong– Technology transfer methods are dynamic


Collaboration – Organizations

University“Researcher”

StudentsCorporate

“Researcher”

AnnualBudget

CorporateStrategy

ProductInnovationCurrent

ProductsPhD / Graduates-new employees-new faculty

Publications-technology/science advancement


Collaboration – Basic Vision


StudentsCorporate

“Researcher”

AnnualBudget

CorporateStrategy


ProductsPhD / Graduates-new employees-new faculty


• Funding• Guidance• Equipment• Prototypes

• IP• Advanced technologies to

productize• PhD Graduates• Technology insight


Collaboration – Complexities


IndustryFunding

GovernmentFunding

Internal/UniversityFunding

ResearchCenter

Funding

IndustryGuidance

Equipment,Lab, Prototype, etc.

SupportResearcherExchange

(RIR, Interns, …)

Students

UniversityPeer

Collaboration

Corporate“Researcher”

AnnualBudget

Internal“clients”Business

Partners

CorporateStrategy

Hiring


Products

StandardsGroups

TechnologyDirection

Academicobjectives PhD / Graduates

-new employees-new faculty



Collaboration – Additional Entities


Corporate“Researcher”

NGOs

Government

??

?

?

?

? ?

??


Challenges

• Serendipity vs. Predictability• “Harvesting” the value

– Responsibility for harvesting value; Mechanisms; Re-dissemination

• Rules of Engagement (implicit, explicit)– Expectations management (time scales, “results” / “deliverables”, …)– Expectations management (control, ownership, …)

• Measures of success, tracking effects– Is it possible? Should we even try?

• Individual vs. cooperative participation balance• Understanding the other side (large, complex organizations)• Visionary sponsorship• Commitment• Change of senior visionary leaders, sponsors, contacts, etc. …• Change of Strategic direction• …


Collaboration – Next Generation Efforts

Telcomm Center

NetworkingResearch

Center“# 1”

NetworkingResearch

Center“# 2”

StrategicBusiness and Research

Theme Area

Core Faculty Leadership Core Partner/Industry Leadership

Research ActivitiesWorkshops, Events …

ExploratoryResearch

Collaboration


Comments / Principles / Lessons


What Are the Secrets of “Silicon Valley” Success?

“There are none”.• Rules

1.

There is no magic answer. There is no recipe to follow.There is no magic answer. There is no recipe to follow.


Some Principles

• Do something important• Challenge, take a risk, try something (take a step)• Failing as a learning experience• Win by providing high value to customers• Be the best / Work with the best people in every aspect• Meritocracy – reward for value delivered• Creativity is great! Creative people are great!• Dynamic, agile, flexible, open• Fun• Never repeat mistakes, learn and do better each time• Chaos is good, break the mold• It’s a small valley / industry / world / … in this together

– all in the same ecosystem; you will, at various times, work for / with / against someone or some company

• …


Risk

• Is RISK good or evil?

• Try something new and innovative• Be different• Leadership

• Smart Risk …

• Address risk EARLY– Big issues first, rather than last– “Buy down” the risk


Failure

• Is FAILURE good or evil?– The stigma of failure– Repeated mistake vs. trying and learning– Calcio / Soccer Striker – takes many shots-on-goal, but best

strikers take many shots-on-goal

• Succeeded (company, project)• Failed (company, project)

• Never Tried

.

.

.

Accomplishment/ Success

• A “Silicon Valley” view:


Where to Start?How Can We Be Successful?• Principles for success

– Established vision and mission– Charted by the executive leadership– Implementation and change plan– Strong leadership; strong management skills– Designed for specific environment (one size does not fit all)– Run as a managed project– Fiscally responsible– Deliver successes early and often (“baby steps, baby steps, …”)– Patience

• Barriers to success– Fear (of failure, of success)– Fragmentation (no shared vision/mission)– Territories– Execution– Management and Leadership gaps– Moving too slowly (no momentum); Too fast (trouble keeping up)


Structuring for Value and Innovation (or Against?)• We (esp. managers) like: Predictability, repeatability, certainty

– Structure / Organization charts – reorganize

– Accounting – create new reports

– Billable percentage (unbilled time)

– Control

– Contracts, work statements

– Directorates (e.g. R&D group, Office of the CTO) – clear “owner”

• A factory is meant to have predictable, repeatable, unchanging processes and outcomes– Important for manufacturing, etc., of course

But the point of innovation is to achieve different, new, unique higher-value results – something that is …well, that is Innovative!

But the point of innovation is to achieve different, new, unique higher-value results – something that is …well, that is Innovative!


Michael [email protected]

Thank you.

Think out of the box.

Think out of the box.

Be out of the box.What box?

university-industry relationships for innovation (success and challenges) wipo-crui training program...

Documents

stanford slide

c eldredge

research centers rome

major research projects

research projects types

industry industry funding

stanford school of engineering

truman scholars stanford