Enhancing Economic Impact through EPSRC-University Partnerships

1. Towards Better Exploitation and Economic Impact:Developing the EPSRC Partnership with the University Vince Osgood Associate Director, Economic Impact EPSRC

2. EXPLOITATION AND ECONOMIC IMPACT Towards Better Exploitation • Context • Vision and priority • Delivering the vision • Conclusions and way forward • Issues for discussion

3. EPSRC Purpose Context • Support high quality basic, strategic and applied research, and related postgraduate training • Advance knowledge and technology to meet the needs of users and beneficiaries • Thereby contribute to the UK’s continued economic competitiveness and quality of life 3

4. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONContext • Realising our Potential White Paper, 1993 • Lambert review, 2006 – business-university engagement • DTI Innovation review, 2006 • Ten-Year Science & Innovation Investment Framework, 2004 – “output 2”: Better Exploitation • Next Steps, 2006 – “step change” in exploitation • Warry report, 2006 – increasing the economic impact of the research councils • Sainsbury review, 2007 – Race to the Top • Change of government focus from KT to economic impact

5. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONCurrent Position • Starting from a strong KT base of activity, but not complacent • 40% of research project portfolio collaborative with 2,000 organisations • 40% of research studentships on projects scoped by business • strategic partnerships with 30 organisations in 20 activities • Strategic Plan, 2006 – partnerships are key • KT & Economic Impact strategy, 2007 – published after community consultation

6. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONVision For the UK to be: • The best place in the world in which to engage in research and innovation • Equally renown for knowledge transfer and innovation as it is for research discovery… • while sustaining research excellence and quality • Excellence through impact – research & people

7. KT & ECONOMIC IMPACT STRATEGY Build on the changing environment in universities Increase engagement with research user stakeholders & strengthen partnerships to improve KT Collaboration & co-investment with TSB Raise visibility of KT & economic impact Measure effectiveness of the strategy Shape RCUK KT & economic impact strategy

8. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONDelivery Plan Priority • Knowledge transfer embedded in all 7 Delivery Plan themes • Activities includes research collaborative with business & other user organisations, business led postgraduate skills development, knowledge transfer & people flow • £840M over three-year period – £500M through two focused user-influenced programmes

9. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONDelivery Plan, 2008-2011 Key objectives: • Accelerate research exploitation through TSB & ETI • Mission programmes form bridges with key stakeholders to exploit research • Increase targeted, user focused PhD training • Enhance knowledge & people flow through partnerships & funded initiatives • Publicise opportunities for & successes in KT

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11. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATION Key Strategies • Increase business-focused skills development/ postgraduate training • Accelerate the exploitation of research outputs to enhance business pull and address societal grand challenges • Enhance opportunities for follow-on activities

12. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONIncrease business-focused skills development/postgraduate training • Training more aligned to business requirements: • Engineering doctorates – expand into other disciplines • Knowledge Transfer Accounts – with signposting to encourage KTPs, post doc secondments into collaborating companies, strategic masters • Industrial CASE directly to companies, KTNs, RDAs/DAs • Collaborating partner training using Doctoral Training Accounts • Entrepreneurship training

13. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATION Accelerate the exploitation of research outputs • Enhance business pull & address societal grand challenges: • Expansion of strategic partnerships, especially with Technology Strategy Board, Energy Technologies Institute • Development of business engagement around centres of excellence – Innovation & Knowledge Centres; Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres • Collaborative research projects supported in the responsive mode

14. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONEnhance opportunities for follow-on activities • Promote opportunities to commercialise research outputs from EPSRC supported research: • Business Plan Competition • Work with Regional Development Agencies/Devolved Administrations and venture capital companies • Follow-on Fund • Industrial Fellowships – with Royal Society

15. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATIONSuccess Features • Demonstrate economic impact – a challenge • Need help of business (IP exploiters) and universities (IP generators) – partnerships are key • Case studies of success stories – improve flow of impact evidence and good news stories to EPSRC – Connecting with Business

16. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATION Conclusions and the Way Forward • EPSRC’s relationship with the University is crucial if together we are to deliver knowledge transfer and economic and societal benefit to the UK. • How can we work more effectively together to make the partnership work? • Draw up an action plan to strengthen the partnership

17. TOWARDS BETTER EXPLOITATION Issues for Discussion • Recognising the University’s strengths in KT & how EPSRC can help the University to build on these • Sharing information on KT successes, significant business relationships, key performance indicators & other evidence of impact from EPSRC investments • Developing best practices in building business collaborations, reducing KT barriers & negotiating effective intellectual property agreements