Academia-Industry-Government Partnership at the …...Academia-Industry-Government Partnership at the National University of Singapore Dr. Jasmine Kway Deputy Director NUS Industry

Academia-Industry-Government Partnership at the

National University of Singapore

Dr. Jasmine KwayDeputy Director

NUS Industry and Technology Relations Office, NUS Enterprise

1st Asian Science & Technology Seminar, 20 March 06, Bangkok Thailand

1st Asian Science & Technology Seminar, 200306, Slide 2

Primary Roles of University

“...the three primary roles which a world-class university should play in a modern economy and society:

i. deliver quality undergraduate education; ii. develope graduate education and research; and iii.foster entrepreneurship and industry involvement.”

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, Deputy Prime Minister And Minister For Defence,12 August 2002


NUS VisionTowards a global knowledge enterprisebuilding synergies between education,

research and entrepreneurship

NUS MissionAdvance knowledge and foster innovation,

educate students and nurture talent, in service of country and society


Entrepreneurship in NUS

Mindset Change• Employee mentality of students• Administration needs to be flexible• Roadblocks need to be removed

Venture Support System• Hardware and Software support • Funding up to the receipt of significant external

funding • Need to accept high proportion of failure

Challenges


Entrepreneurship in NUS

NUS Enterprise Our Vision• Inject an enterprise dimension to NUS teaching and research

involving NUS students, staff and alumni

Our Objectives• Provide entrepreneurship education and nurture talents with

a global mindset;• Identify, protect and commercialise intellectual property;• Nurture NUS spin-offs and start-ups;• Foster industrial collaboration; and• Facilitate the dissemination of NUS knowledge to external

community


NUS Enterprise Organization Chart

NUS Enterprise

NUSOverseasColleges

NUSEntrepreneur

-shipCentre

NUSIndustry

andTechnologyRelations

Office

NUSVentureSupport

NUSConsulting

NUSExtension

NUSPublishing

NUS CollegeIn Bio Valley

NUS CollegeIn Silicon Valley

NUS CollegeIn Shanghai

NUS CollegeIn Stockholm

IPManagement and Licensing

IndustryRelations

VentureCreation

NUSBusinessIncubator

OverseasBusinessCentres

SingaporeUniversity

PressPte Ltd

NUS@Silicon ValleyNUS@Shanghai


NUS Industry & Technology Relations Office

MissionTo promote the transfer of NUS-generated knowledge

and technology to industry for the benefit of society and the economic development of the Nation.

Key Responsibilities• Protect and manage NUS’ intellectual property• Promote and catalyze commercialization of the

University’s innovations and expertise • Promote and catalyze research collaborations

between the University and industry



Industry Relations

• Negotiates more than 100 agreements yearly• Concluded more than 700 industry collaboration

research projects from year 2000• Obtained close to S$50M research funding for FY04-05



IP Management & Licensing

• More than 100 invention disclosures yearly from S$200M-S$300M of research funding

• Intellectual property portfolio of 984 patents across 400 technologies

• 108 technologies licensed


NUS Venture Support

ObjectiveNurture successful NUS spin-offs and start-up companies involving NUS students, staff, alumni and NUS Intellectual

Property until they receive significant external funding

Current Status • 89 start-ups and spin-offs to-date• 15 companies secured significant funding of

more than S$1M


NUS Venture Support

Incubators in NUS

• 1 University and 3 Faculty-level incubators

• Capacity: 35 – 40 start-ups• Current Incubatees: 28 companies• Access to NUS resources,

technologies and expertise• Mentors, Advisors & Business

Network• Conduct seminars, workshops,

legal clinics

NUS Business Incubator

Inside the Incubator


NUS Venture Support Fund • Seed new start-ups that commercialize NUS Intellectual Property;

• Funded 7 start-ups with up to S$300,000;• EDB 1:1 matching; • Extension of S$3M fund approved on 1 August 2005;• Raising another S$30M fund

• Student Enterprise Programme - S$5M for 5 yrsFunded 15 Student Enterprises from October 2004

Mozat

Chiral

Cadi Scientific

Mikrotools

AvantWerx

FriarTuck


NUS@Silicon Valley • Established in May 2003• Hub of entrepreneurship activities for local NUS hi-tech

start-ups• Focal point for NUS staff, students and alumni in Silicon

Valley• Provide comprehensive program of entrepreneurship

education, venture support, business incubation and networking

• Provide smooth entry for NUS start-ups into US market• Central downtown location in Mountain View• Offices from 100 sq ft to 125 sq ft• Workstation from 60 sq ft• Wireless network enabled• Shared facilities eg. Fully equipped meeting and seminar

rooms

NUS@Silicon Valley


NUS@Shanghai• Established in September 2005 as a wholly-owned foreign

entity• Centre for NUS education, research and enterprise activities

in China (eg. NUS Business School, NUS College in Shanghai, Institute of Systems Science, etc)

• Smooth entry for NUS community into China• Central location at Acendas Plaza, Xu Jia Hui• Shared facilities eg. fully equipped conference and meeting

rooms, office equipment; administrative support• Office from 10-13 sqm each• 18 workstations of 1.4m x 1.4m• Wireless network enabled and furnished

NUS@Shanghai

INTRO 2004

NUS Industry & Technology Relations Office (INTRO)

Challenges


Challenges in University-Industry Partnerships

Education, research and enterprise– Where is the emphasis?– Celebrate scholars and entrepreneurs!


Sourcing for Invention Disclosures– Patent vs. publication – Promotion and tenure vs. creating patents– Consulting vs. spin-off opportunities– Is Invention Disclosure part of Faculty Performance

Indicator?

Pull factors– Build awareness via roadshows, courses– Publicizing successful patent grants and

commercialization – Customer-centric personnel with high EQ


Invention Disclosure Management

Rejection of Invention Disclosures– How do you tell an eminent professor his invention disclosure is not patentable?

– Use of peer review process which is similar to journal publications and conference presentations, including appeal process.– Transparent rejection process and alternatives– Need customer-centric personnel with high EQ in INTRO


Invention Disclosures

Characteristics of Inventions– High percentage of disruptive technologies resulting in new products, processes and services for new markets– Not enough existing information for assessment of commercial potential

– Limit filing to one or two lead markets– Commercialization mainly through spin-offs or start-ups instead of existing companies.


Licensing Issues• Technology Valuation. Why bother?

– Diverse methods– Early stage technologies

• Licensee Evaluation. How?– Pre-empting opportunities and future developments

• Long negotiation cycle. Delay?– Commercialization and investment happens after license– Supermarket approach? (Price List/Standard Terms)

• Customer Support. Our value proposition!– Stay in touch after deal is done– Leverage on NUS expertise and facilities


Objective of Licensing

• Maximize revenue? • National economic development? • Generate emotional credit for NUS?


Role of Technology Transfer Office

Pure Intellectual Property Management?– Due diligence– Gate keeper, regulator?

Enhanced with Industry Relations (Corporate Relations)

– Value add– Partner, facilitator?


NUS Industry and Technology Relations Office

One-stop office for Academia-Industry-Government Partnerships

Product – ALL University assets– Intellectual Property– Expertise– Facilities

Customers– Internal – owners of NUS assets – External - industry/institutions/government


NUS Licensing Policy

• Create value from knowledge generated from NUS so as to enhance the quality of life for the benefit of society

• Maximize impact (not returns)

• Licensing priority– NUS spin-off– Singapore based companies– Non-Singapore based companies


NUS Royalty sharing

Inventor(s)50%

University20%

Faculty30%(after cost of patenting and overheads)


Gap Funding

Availability of capital

The Valley of Death

Public funded research

Angel investors

Seed findingVenture capitalists

Basic research

Development & Scale-up

Commercial Operation


Bridge the financing gap

• Singapore Economic Development Board– Proof-of-Concept Fund– Innovation Commercialization Scheme

• Agency for Science & Technology– Commercialization of Technology Scheme

• National University of Singapore– Technology to Market Fund

• The Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office– The Enterprise Challenge Fund

• SBIR pilot scheme (A*Star and NUS)


Manpower Resources - diversity

Industry Relations Officers• Business development skills• Strong in project management• Strong in marketing & sales• Good grasps of corporate and contracts law• Good communication and presentation skills

IP Management Officers• Possess a technical degree• Good grasps of IP management and IP law• Imaginative/Innovative to translate technologies into applications


Key Performance IndicatorsBased on economic development objectivei.e. value creation for Singapore

• Value of products/services created• Value of investment in commercialization technology (FAI, TBS) • No. of new ventures created• No. of jobs created• Value of external funding generated

– Research collaborations;– Technology Transfer;– Consultancy.

• Access to University Physical Assets and Facilities• Percentage of Professors involvement

INTRO 2004

NUS Industry & Technology Relations Office (INTRO)

Opportunities


Vision for Singapore as an IP Hub

Develop Singapore into an IP-savvy business hub, conducive for the Creation, Ownership &

Exploitation of intellectual assets


Singapore government fully supportive of IP activities

• Manufacturing

• IP Licensing

• Enterprise Incubation

• Technology Showcase

• Patent Drafting & Filing

• Protection for other IPs

• Research & Development

• Acquisition of IP

Liberal Support for Training & Capability Development

Supporting the IP Value Chain


Concerted Singapore government effort• Top protective IP regime in Asia

• Signatory to major IPR conventions & treaties

• Houses major key players in the IP value chain– IP service providers– IP law firms– MNCs managing IPs out of Singapore– Technology based/IP ventures– Huge base of venture capitalists

INTRO 2004

Thank you

Dr. Jasmine KwayDeputy DirectorNUS Industry and Technology Relations [email protected]://www.nus.edu.sg/intro

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Academia-Industry-Government Partnership at the …...Academia-Industry-Government Partnership at the National University of Singapore Dr. Jasmine Kway Deputy Director NUS Industry