Enterprise Engagement and Regional Development in Ireland: the research role of the

Institutes of Technology

Dr Jim Murray, IOTIEURASHE Conference Lisbon 16 April 2015

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SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION

SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN IRELAND

Irish Higher Education - almost

exclusively a public system

7 Universities

5 Colleges of Education

National College of Art and Design

14 Institutes of Technology

Small number of private providers

102,000 F/T

17,800 P/T

66,500 F/T

17,300 P/T

Institutes of Technology

• Athlone

• Blanchardstown

• Carlow

• Cork

• Dundalk

• Dunlaoghaire

• Galway - Mayo

• Letterkenny

• Limerick

• Sligo

• Tallaght

• Tralee

• Waterford

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Institutes of Technology Mission: RTC Act 1992

‘The principal function of a college shall ... be to provide vocational and technical education and training for the economic, technological, scientific, commercial, industrial, social and cultural development of the State with particular reference to the region served by the college…’

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Institutes of Technology: Philosophy

• Undergraduate and post graduate programmes with strong emphasis on the needs of the workplace and the individual

• A research ethos that recognises the role research plays in the development of both society and the individual

– Impact Focused, Strategically Oriented Research, Development and Innovation

• Seamless access, transfer and progression

• Recognise and credentialise prior learning

• Curricula that supports IoT philosophy by making use of cooperative education, work based research projects, problem based learning, technology enhanced and blended learning

• Graduates who are – skilled in the application of discipline knowledge, principles and concepts,

– reflective practitioners in the totality of their lives

– effective communicators

– life-long learners

– culturally and socially aware.

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www.ioti.ie

The Irish Institutes of Technology have evolved significantly over their lifetime...

’1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s 2010’s

Technological HE

sector launched as

Regional Technical

Colleges (RTCs)

Widened access to

3rd level. Linked to

expansion of HE

sector through RTCs

National Strategy for

Higher Education sets

agenda up to 2030.

Research grows as a

priority. Enabled

through greater

focus and

coordination.

Designation as

Institutes of

Technology (IoTs).

PG and research

gradually increase.

This work has helped to build significant capability in RDI across IoTs...

• 46 specialist research groups;

• 521 researchers and support staff (all actively

engaged with research);

• 871 postgraduate research students;

• €218mn in research funding generated between

2006 and 2010 of which 66% is allocated toward

research in ICT, Health and Biotechnology.

• Increased proportion of funding drawn from

European Programmes

Funding for research has been deployed across 6 core areas with EU support making an increasing contribution...

• Around two-thirds of funding from Enterprise Ireland and the Higher

Education Authority with around 5% from Science Foundation Ireland

• 11% from EU and remainder from other sources

28%

38%

11%

9%

6%8%

Allocation of funding across 6 main areas of research, development

& innovation

ICT

Health & Biotechnology

Energy & Environment

Physical & Chemical Sciences & Engineering

Humanities, Social Sciences & Digital Media

Entrepreneurship

The pipeline of PhD and Masters research students provided real impetus for the development of specialist research capability...

• Sizeable base of annual external research funding secured by

Institutes (currently around €40mn per annum)

• After significant growth this has fallen in recent years due to fiscal

constraints

IOTI RDI Strategy - Context

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IOTI

RDI

Strategy

IoT Strategy: Sustaining and Growing the Delivery of Strategically Oriented, Impact Focused RDI in IOTs

Developing RDI

Capability in IoTs

Students Developing postgraduate student base to provide pipeline of specialist expertise

Infrastructure Providing support &

facilities to build specialist research

centres

Researchers Deploying specialist research staff to deliver programmes & develop knowledge

Partnership Working with national

& international partners to enhance

excellence

Future

networks

& comms

Data

Analytics

Managmt

Security &

Privacy

Digital

Platforms,

Content &

Applicatns

Connected

Health &

Independt

Living

Medical

DevicesDiagnostics

Therapeutic

Synthesis,

Formulation

Processing

& Drug

Delivery

Food for

Health

Sustainable

Food

Production

&

Processing

Marine

Renewable

Energy

Smart

Goods &

Smart

Cities

Manufactg

Technology

Processing

Technology

& Novel

Materials

Innovation

in Services

& Business

Processes

Athlone Institute of

Technology

Institute of Technology

Carlow

Cork Institute of

Technology

Dundalk Institute of

Technology

Galway-Mayo Institute

of Technology

Institute of Technology

Blanchardstown

Institute of Technology

Tallaght

Institute of Technology

Sligo

Limerick Institute of

Technology

Letterkenny Institute of

Technology

Institute of Art, Design &

Technology

Institute of Technology

Tralee

Waterford Institute of

Technology

SRI (COMAND) MRI/APT

STORC (CASALA)

TSSG(FAME/MSTG)

SMRC (ICBC)

BRI

MFWRC

BIOEXPLORE(MEDIC)

CiSETGMedTech

GameCORE EnviroCORE

CREDIT

NIMBUS (TEC) CAPPA

DesignCORE

ITSGNSCFRG

CASH (CREATE, MICRA)RFTC

CIDS Shannon ABC

Shannon ABC/CELLS

MCP/SEAMPMBRC

GOG/CIMMS/IMAR

CCTA CPCCCTA

MBRR SustainabilityGRG

WiSAR CAMBIO

REMEMBER

MRI

RIKON

IoT Research & Innovation Centresaligned with national research priority areas

The IoTs are now looking to EU and international collaboration to drive further development in key areas...

DSP00084-0 splash screen 1-5-09.ppt

Future

networks

& comms

Data

Analytics

Managmt

Security &

Privacy

Digital

Platforms,

Content &

Applicatns

Connected

Health &

Independt

Living

Medical

DevicesDiagnostics

Therapeutic

Synthesis,

Formulation

Processing

& Drug

Delivery

Food for

Health

Sustainable

Food

Production

&

Processing

Marine

Renewable

Energy

Smart

Goods &

Smart

Cities

Manufactg

Technology

Processing

Technology

& Novel

Materials

Innovation

in Services

& Business

Processes

Athlone Institute of

Technology

Institute of Technology

Carlow

Cork Institute of

Technology

Dundalk Institute of

Technology

Galway-Mayo Institute

of Technology

Institute of Technology

Blanchardstown

Institute of Technology

Tallaght

Institute of Technology

Sligo

Limerick Institute of

Technology

Letterkenny Institute of

Technology

Institute of Art, Design &

Technology

Institute of Technology

Tralee

Waterford Institute of

Technology

SRI (SUNAT) MRI

STORC (CASALA)

TSSG(FAME/3CS)

SMRC (ICBC)

BRI

MFWRC

BIOEXPLORE(MEDIC)

CiSETGMedTech

GameCORE EnviroCORE

CREDIT

NIMBUS (TEC) CAPPA

DesignCORE

ITSGNSCFRG

CASH (CREATE, MICRA)RFTC

CIDS Shannon ABC

Shannon ABC/CELLS

MCP/SEAMPMBRC

GOG/CIMMS

CCTA CPCCCTA

MBRR Sustainability/CforDIGRG

WiSAR/Epicentre CAMBIO

REMEMBER

ICT networks

and systems

Pharma, Medical devices

and diagnostics

Food, marine

and biotech

Materials and green technology

ICT networks, systems & software

Manufacturing, materials & green tech

Pharmaceuticals & medical devices

Food marine & biotechnology

Industry partnerships – some examples

Strategic Positioning – RDI in IOTs Bridging the Open Innovation Gap

High LowRisk

Stage

Com

merc

ialis

atio

n F

ocu

s

Technology / Market Readiness

Product

Development

Sales

Operations

Marketing

Industry

‘Basic’

Research

‘Applied’

Research

IoTs

Research Develop Commercialise

Culture,Experience

Timelines

Objectives

IPR

Technology

Push

Market Pull

(market informed research

and innovation)

Strategic Positioning – RDI in IOTs Bridging the Open Innovation Gap

High LowRisk

Stage

Com

merc

ialis

atio

n F

ocu

s

Technology / Market Readiness

Product

Development

Sales

Operations

Marketing

Industry(SMEs, etc)

‘Basic’

Research

‘Applied’

Research

HEIs

Research Develop Commercialise

Bridging the Gap - ExampleApplied Research Enhancement / Technology Gateways

• Enterprise Ireland funded ‘Technology Gateways’ in IOTs

• Model that engages SMEs in collaborative RDI with IOTs

• Builds capability• Deepens research

partnerships

• Ave ̴40% industry €contribution to projects

Technology Gateway – ExampleIndustry Engagement

@

• Pilot scale Injection Moulding, Blow Moulding,

Thermoforming, Extrusion and Compounding

lines.

• Advanced Analytical Facilities for materials

research, testing and troubleshooting

• Product Design, Rapid Prototyping (3D

Printing & Additive Manufacturing) and Micro-

Moulding Capabilities

Bridging the GapStart-up supports via on-campus incubators

• Incubation centres located on-campus at all IOTs

nationally

• Provide business supports and access to IOT

RDI expertise for many start-up companies:

– 233 companies currently

– 1,032 employees

– 26 with HPSU status

– 76 at pre-HPSU stage

– 226 spin-in’s, 7 spin-out’s

• Ensures real market focus to our RDI activities

• Run ‘New Frontiers’ programme in collaboration

with Enterprise Ireland, the largest start-up

programme in Ireland

Company exports product to EU,

expands to 10 people & relocates

to larger premises

Case Study – ‘spin-in’ model

Began on IoT enterprise start-up programme

Located in Rubicon

Centre - CIT incubator

Perch Dynamic Solutions

Began on IoT enterprise start-up programme

Located in AIT MIRC incubator

Case Study – ‘spin-in’ model

Company expands with base established in

Canada and VC investment to facilitate move

into North American market

Spin-out from Waterford Institute of Technology

Located in ArcLabs

– WIT incubator

Case Study – ‘spin-out’ collaboration

Innovation

Voucher

€5,000

Initial problem-solving around

manufacturing process

EI Feasibility

Study

€15,000

Feasibility study on auto-

washer re-design to

reduce water, detergent &

energy consumption

Innovation

Partnership

€160,000

Product

development to take

solution to market

Development

of a Next

Generation

Robotic Milking

Parlour

FP7

R4SMEs

€1.6million

IRC

EPS

€100,000

Case Study – strategic partnership for growth

CONCLUSION• Traditional mission of Institutes of Technology focused on

preparation of graduates for complex professional roles in a changing technological world

• Increasingly, focused on supporting the delivery of regional and national economic objectives, in partnership with industry, through impact focused and strategically oriented RDI activities

• The advancement of ‘regional cooperation’ in Ireland is achieved by the Institutes of Technology through RDIactivities that make a measurable impact on local and national businesses and enterprises, and through the exploitation of intellectual property and technology transfer

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