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Research & Innovation: The Roles of Industry & Academia within Mobile VCE Dr Walter Tuttlebee Chief Executive, Mobile VCE. Remit: Strategic, long-term, world-class, shared-cost research which is defined & steered by the world’s leading companies. Observer Members.
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Research & Innovation: The Roles of Industry & Academia within Mobile VCE Dr Walter Tuttlebee Chief Executive, Mobile VCE
Remit: Strategic, long-term, world-class, shared-cost research which is defined & steered by the world’s leading companies Observer Members Undertaken by the UK’s leading mobile research Universities
Some Background… Mobile VCE • Not-for-profit company, established in 1996 • Governed by its members through an Annual General Meeting • AGM appoints a Board of Directors who oversee operation on behalf of the members throughout the year • Day to day management is delegated to a full time Chief Executive, reporting to the Executive Committee Personal • 20 years industry R&D experience prior to joining Mobile VCE some 3 years after it was first established • Prior Experience of Industry-Academic Collaboration • Defining EU Collaborative Programmes (3G) • UK LINK PCP Management Committee • (Mis-)Matching Industry and Academic Expectations • My early perspectives of Mobile VCE, from outside
The Functional Model ‘Adjacent’ Industries HandsetMfrs Shared Future Visions TelecomOperators VCE Industry Steering Groups Strategic Research Univ Research Teams InfrastructureMfrs Industry Growth Component,Software, …
The Financial Model:High Gearing & Win-Win - - - Members’ Subscriptions - - - Government Funds Members’ Core Fund Core Programme Fund Win - Very high financial gearing of Industry funding allows industry to accommodate long-term research perspective Win - High gearing of public, Government, funding Win - Strengthening of the research base & the people base to support the industry and economy
Two Types of Research Core Programmes – All Industrial Members • Strategic, long-term, research funded by member subscriptions • Allindustrymembers define, participate, share the benefits & have royalty-free access to IPR. Attracts additional UK government funding • Core 1 Mar 1997- Mar 2000, ~50 manyears • Core 2 Oct 1999 – Sep 2003, ~100 manyears • Core 3 April 2002 – Sep 2005, ~75 manyears • Core 4 2005/06 – 2008/09, ~140 manyears Elective Programmes – Those that Choose • Research projects commissioned by one or more industrial members • Programmes are initiated and defined by an industry member • Mobile VCE helps link industrial members with common research needs • Industry players select the most appropriate university team assisted, if needed, by Mobile VCE • The subset of members share the cost of an elective programme • Rapid, low hassle, efficient way to conduct pre-competitive research
Intellectual Property Effective & Fair Mechanisms • Win-win - a fair arrangement for creators and funders • Incentive mechanisms encourage good research and IPR • Our Industrial Members decide whether a patent should be filed • IPR is available royalty-free to Industrial Members (relating to period of membership), and on commercial terms to non-members • New Members sign a Deed of Adherence to the IPR Agreement • New Members can purchase access to prior IPR for a fee – used to fund further research, benefiting all members • A portfolio of 50 filings, 14 grants, over 10 years
Creating the Research Programme Industry • Defines research requirements • Visions Days & Programme Development Process • global perspective on requirements, ‘ahead of the curve’ • Strategic priority areas where … • research needed, but not yet being undertaken • Mobile VCE can make a real difference • high potential industry benefit exists • Example – the scope of Core 3 • mobile-broadcast Interworking • today’s hot topic, defined in 2001
Creating the Research Programme Universities • Propose leading edge technical approaches • Recruit top quality researchers from around the world • Work effectively together across organisational boundaries Jointly • Joint industry-academic teams established to develop detailed programme description … mutate into … • Industry Steering Groups that direct and oversee the research once it begins to ramp up • Relationships & trust are a key asset that Mobile VCE has developed over the past decade – a majorfactor in delivery
Undertaking the Research Programme Industrial Steering Groups • All research is managed by Industrial Steering Groups • Industrial Chairman leads each work area • Academic Coordinator supports the Industry Chairman • Steering Groups meet ~3-4 months for presentations & review • Interim workshops – to address scenarios, business models etc • Industrials provide feedback, direction to the research teams and decisions on patents, publications, etc Industry ‘Mentors’ • ‘Mentor’ is the wrong word – personal relationships that deliver tangible mutual benefits for both the Industrials & Researchers • One-on-one & technical meetings with researchers • A means to assess and develop potential recruits – many excellent eamples
Undertaking the Research Programme University Research Teams • University participation invited against objective criteria • Selected to match skills to requirements • Teams drawn from across multiple Universities • Universities assessed periodically by Industry against… • technical contribution, staff quality, supervision, collaboration, communication, management & scheduling … • Mechanisms drive excellence, mitigate against mediocrity • Output Quality – Independently Assessed • ‘Internationally Leading’ (top score) for both Research Quality and Programme Management • ‘Outstanding’ (top score) for Supply of Researchers, many later recruited by our Industrial Members • Industry continues to value Mobile VCE (by funding it !)
Introducing Core 4… Development • Industrial ‘Future Visions’ Day • Global Contributions, Plenary Debate, Breakout Groups • Synthesis of Priority Themes • Visions Group • White Papers – refined through member consultation • Four, then Three key themes emerged • Programme Development • Three joint industry-academic teams established • Embryonic Steering Groups • In-depth understanding and development of approach, and relationship building, well before programme start • Funding Support • (Competitive) Bids for (additional) Government funding
Core 4’s Three Strategic Themes • Ubiquitous Services – Creating New Revenues • Primary goal - to overcome barriers to the deployment of ubiquitous services in three key domains – user, network & service/content • Delivery Efficiency – Reducing Costs • Primary goal - the development of efficient mechanisms for wireless communications within a context of future wireless architectures to permit reductions in the cost-per-bit • Device & Service Security – Securing the Future • Primary goal - to address the growing security issues for increasingly-open mobile devices & services in increasingly-open, interconnected, heterogeneous networks
Dates & Details Status, May 2006 • Ubiquitous Services – New Revenue Streams • October 2005 – January 2008 • ~45 manyears • Supported by the DTI Technology Programme • Delivery Efficiency – Reducing ‘Cost-per-Bit’ • January 2006 – December 2008 • ~72 manyears • Supported by EPSRC • Device & Service Security – Protecting the ‘Golden Egg’ • Late 2006 • ~24 manyears • Likely support from both EPSRC and DTI