How to find Partnersfor Research Collaboration

Strategies for Success10.40am - 11.10am

Castle Hill Breakout Room, Level 4, Central Services Building

Finding PartnersStrategies for• General Networking• Participating in Research Collaborations• Leading and Building Consortia

General NetworkingMight be general, but it still starts with objectives:• Is there a particular niche area of my research field in which I want to excel?• Do I have ambitions to participate in pan-European Research collaborations in the

future?• Are their particular groups in the UK or in Europe with whom I wish to work?• Is it industrial collaborators that I wish to find?

Tactics• Traditional methods, Conferences etc• Social Media

Participating in Research Collaborations

Now even more imperative that it starts with objectives• Is there a particular niche area of my research field in which I want to excel?• Is there a particular call topic (domestically or in Europe) in which I am interested

in participating?• Are their particular groups in the UK or in Europe with whom I wish to work?• Is it industrial collaborators that I wish to find?

Tactics• General networking• Targeted calls, follow-up emails• Partner search tools (particularly relevant for EU research)

How to Build a Winning a Consortium

April 14th 2010

Core RTD Partners –they will write the proposal with you

Other RTD Partners – based on gaps identified

Demonstration partners

Dissemination & Exploitation

PARTNERS THAT WILL DELIVER HIGH IMPACT AND DISSEMINATE WIDELY

StrategyDefinitions (2)1. Alternative chosen to make happen a desired future, such as achievement of a goal

or solution to a problem.2. Art and science of planning and marshalling resources for their most efficient and

effective use.

Strategic ChoicesCoordinate or be a partnerSelection of the science to address the topic

E.g. A particular nano-particle technology with unique imaging properties to address a cancer call

Selection of the area of impact (geographic)E.g. In UK, Sweden, Germany and Romania for a topic addressing mental health of

adolescents in EuropeSelection of the area of impact (physical)

E.g. Detection of specific small molecule targets (explosives) potentially present in post-blast scenarios

E.g. Application focus for an enhanced nano-fluid coolant (Data Centres and High-Power Electronics)

E.g. 1) Breast and Prostate or 2) GI&U targets in a cancer callDetermination of the industrial strategy (commercial routes to market)

E.g. Large Enterprise (E.g. Phillips or Siemens) and/or SME partners

Process StepsStarts with the TopicDevelop a mind-map of the topicIdentify the roles that need to be filled (think numbers on the back of the

shirts in a football team)Beyond State of the Art ScienceRTD performersDissemination (Science and/or Policy) & EducationExploitationSpecialists (Toxicology, Ethics, Regulatory etc)

Make and Apply Strategic ChoicesChoice of alternative scientific or technological solutionsGeographic, Physical and Industrial Impact

Four Scenarios

1. An organisation has identified a call topic which is directly in its field of interest and wishes to find partners to assemble a consortium which the organisation is able and prepared to coordinate.

2. An organisation has identified a call topic which is directly in its field of interest and wishes to be a major architect of the consortium but not its coordinator.

3. An organisation has identified a call topic which is partially in its field of interest and wishes to find a consortium to join that already has a coordinator.

4. An organisation has some research experience and is keen to engage in the Collaborative Research. It has not identified any specific calls or core partners around which to base a consortium.

First Tactic

• CORDIS partner search; this is easily undertaken by any company who has the level of commitment required to get involved in the Framework Programme. It will deliver many enquiries, many of which will not be appropriate. The quality of partners sourced through this method maybe high but the chances of a strong fit will generally be low.

Second TacticAgency based partner search, i.e. Enterprise Europe Network (EEN-Yorkshire), FP7

National Contact Points (NCP), and others. These agencies can make a significant difference in helping organisations new to FP7 to conduct more focused search services. This route is recommended as the best way forward for FP7 novices.

Third Tactic• Proactive targeted research by making direct approaches to suitable organisations,

as prospective partners and building consortia. This is the most effective means of finding good quality partners with the appropriate level of buy-in to the envisaged project. It works best with Scenarios 1 & 2 in which the client organisation is very focused on a specific call topic; it is very difficult with Scenario 3 and almost impossible with Scenario 4.

Process Steps

• The 1st step in the process must be a face-to-face or web conference with senior management to define and focus the strategy for involvement, identify thematic areas, call topics, existing networks and the objectives, capabilities and R&D capacity of the business.

• The 2nd step in the process is to define the different roles in the project that must be filled with suitable partner. Typically these are roles are core technology partners (upstream or downstream), specialist technical or regulatory roles, exploitation partners and end-users for specific market segments or geographic coverage.

• The 3rd step is to carry out targeted research by contacting and discussing the potential project with high quality partners to fill designated roles

• The 4th step, as partners “come on board”, is to review the expertise matrix of the consortium with respect to the proposed project and fill gaps with additional partners.

Top Tips

TIPS - Finding Partners in FP7 should be Strategically Driven• Topic, Topic, Topic (don’t stray and don’t let partners pursue pet interests)• Have your strategy in place and your role requirements defined before you start

looking for partners• Be proactive (Putting a profile on CORDIS is not proactive; picking up the telephone

is)• Use the tools (E.g. LINKEDIN, Relevant Discussion Groups)• Don’t start by filling all the UK slots (40% rule)• Do start by creating a critical mass of key RTD and exploitation partners• Never under-estimate the need for the industrial/commercial involvement in any

topic.• Think about the ‘footprint’ that a Dissemination partner can deliver (including

multipliers such as trade associations)

Top Tips

TIPS - Finding Partners in FP7 should be Strategically Driven• Ensure you avoid any imbalances:

• By country (> 40% going to a single country or two countries accounting for >70%)

• By institution (Single institution has more than 30%)• At the Application Level (E.g. Proposal features two applications but

presentation is imbalanced: good at Data Centres but poor at High Power Electronics; this has the effect of being worse than having only one Application focus)

• Recognise the agenda to spend 15% of FP7 money with SMEs• Thinking of an Eastern Europe partner? – treat this agenda seriously (i.e. making

sure all Partners are a good fit irrespective of their origin).• Never agree immediately to offers from consortium partners to bring in ‘friends’ or

‘favoured partners’ until you have tested their capability against your role requirements

• Don’t be afraid to say no to offers from potential partners if they are not exactly what you are looking for. Make sure your consortium is ‘fit for purpose’

Use the services of the University of Huddersfield Research & Enterprise office

to support you.

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