InterTradeIreland All-Island Innovation Programme – 2012 Annual Conference

Exploiting Industry and University Research and Development: Why it Matters?

InterTradeIreland All-Island Innovation Programme
2012 Annual Conference

Exploiting Industry and University Research, Development and Innovation: Why it Matters

Institute for Business, Social Sciences and Public Policy, NUI Galway
Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 June 2012

Keynote Speaker: Professor Donald Siegel, Dean of the School of Business and Professor of Management at the University at Albany, State University of New York, USA

Innovation management is moving towards an open innovation model with industry, universities and governments collaborating to support scientific development, wealth creation and publicly beneficial activities. Industry-University research and innovation collaboration is one of the core features and elements of this open innovation model. With the increasing globalisation of research activities, and significant funding of public science and technology, the open innovation approach is being adopted by more industries. This is now a significant challenge for companies, large and small. How best can they respond to these significant changes in research, development and innovation?

Market opportunities and business needs can influence the direction of research exploitation in an open innovation context. The challenge for companies is to seek out the appropriate set of collaborators in open innovation environments to fit their strategic needs. The increasing complexity of needs and demands from consumers, societies and citizens – coupled with the time and resource requirements in developing new breakthrough technology and innovations – places third level institutions as critical players in the development and exploitation of new knowledge. Public funding of science and supports for entrepreneurship are critical enabling factors to supporting industry- university research, development and innovation.

International experience of industry- university research, development and innovation proves it is complex business that requires a broad range of supports and skills from public funded universities and state laboratories, state support agencies and private sector entrepreneurs and companies. It also requires significant levels of professional services support. It has the potential to yield market-leading positions for industries and entrepreneurs based on scientific knowledge and excellence.

This conference will provide practical insights how best business, academics and policy makers on the island of Ireland can exploit industry- university research, development and innovation to best effect in context of our economic recovery.

Professor Donald Siegel, University at Albany, New York, will deliver a keynote address each day:

Day 1: Research on Academic Entrepreneurship: Lessons Learnt

Day 2: Economic Growth and Academic Entrepreneurship: Lessons and Implications for Industry, Academia and Policymakers

In the two-day Conference programme, a number of business leaders and academic experts from both sides of the border will explore why the exploitation of industry and university-based research, development and innovation (RDI) is crucial to the development of a sustainable economy. Delegates will also hear the results of cutting-edge research into innovation and entrepreneurship that is being undertaken in our third level institutions on the island of Ireland.

The Conference will be of interest to business leaders and senior managers in all industry sectors including SMEs, senior managers in the public and third sector and anyone with a responsibility for the strategic development of a business or organisation. The first day of the Conference (12 June) will be of particular interest to academic researchers with an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The 2012 Conference is being organised by the Institute for Business, Social Sciences and Public Policy (formally Centre for Innovation and Structural Change) at National University of Ireland, Galway.

All Welcome!

Links

Conference Website