Malcolm ButlerPhD, MSc(Eng), MBA, BSc(Hons), CEng, MIMMM

Micro- & Nanotechnology Manager

Yorkshire Forward

MNT in Yorkshire & Humberside: Bringing together commercially focused R&D and

delivery routes to market

Contents

• Strategy/concept

• What we’ve done already

• What we plan to do

Yorkshire Forward MNT Strategy• YF MNT Programme allocated £5m to regional MNT organisations in Dec 2004

•Two components:

•Commercially focussed R&D(encouragement of technology push)

•Overcoming barriers to commercialisation (encouragement of market pull)

Moving forward

The aim is to encourage inclusive working across the region, raising the profile and prospects of this important field

Overcoming Barriers to Commercialisation

To work with the research and training expertise and relevant industry within the Yorkshire & Humber region to:

• 1) Strategic view of investment to date £5m• 2) Strategic recommendations regarding best practice

– To optimise research pipeline with commercial potential

– To benefit academic and commercial activities

Overcoming Barriers to Commercialisation

To work with the research and training expertise and relevant industry within the Yorkshire & Humber region to:

• 3) Industrial liaison/marketing – stimulation of new opportunities– Industry: understanding their needs and highlighting

opportunities– Universities: to stimulate new ideas and generate funding– Both: stimulation of new opportunities for collaboration

• 4) Represent YF on UK MNT Network and globally

Barriers to Commercialisation of New Technologies

• Academic Barriers

• Industrial Barriers

• Funding Barriers

Particles

Characterisation

Components

Polymers

New Technologies

MarketApplications

Facilities & Expertise

Product& Process

Development

Contents

• Strategy/concept

• What we’ve done already– www.mntforum.com (see YF under regional section)

• What we plan to do

Linking R&D excellence to industry:

Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering

CICUniversity of Leeds

Materials Analysis & Research Services

CICSheffield Hallam

University

Particle Science & Engineering

CICUniversity of Leeds

Polymer CICUniversity of

Bradford

Green Chemistry CIC

University of York

Pharmaceutical Innovation CIC

University of Bradford

…utilise existing infrastructure of 14 Centres for

Industrial Collaboration

Build on the respected academic capability in the

region and promote this to industry:

NanoFactory and NanoManufacturing Institute International Centre for Micro- and Nano-Moulding York-JEOL Centre for Nanofabrication and Analysis Polymer IRC and Sheffield Polymer Centre Centre for Precision Technology

Six key areas of world class MNT expertise:

NanoFactory and NanoManufacturing Institute (Leeds) Nanoparticles, fibres and composites E.g. production of nanoparticles and application into composites such as

shin pads and composite automotive parts

Six key areas of world class MNT expertise:

NanoFactory and NanoManufacturing Institute (Leeds) Nanoparticles, fibres and composites E.g. production of nanoparticles and application into composites such as

shin pads and composite automotive parts

International Centre for Micro- and Nano-Moulding (Bradford) Volume production of micro-devices and nano-features E.g. 0.00034g gear blank and channels for microfluidics

Six key areas of world class MNT expertise:

York-JEOL Centre for Nanofabrication and Analysis (York) Nanolithography, electron microscopy and magnetics E.g. sub-atomic resolution TEM and Dual Column Focused Ion

Beam miller (FIB) capability

Six key areas of world class MNT expertise:

York-JEOL Centre for Nanofabrication and Analysis (York) Nanolithography, electron microscopy and magnetics E.g. sub-atomic resolution TEM and Dual Column Focused Ion

Beam miller (FIB) capability

Centre for Precision Technology (Huddersfield) Precision Coordinate Metrology, nano-scale surface metrology,

and ultra precision manufacturing E.g. surfaces for medical implants and quantitative characterisation

of MEMS and silicon wafer devices

Six key areas of world class MNT expertise:

Polymer IRC and Sheffield Polymer Centre

(Leeds, Bradford, Durham & Sheffield) Soft nanotechnology, smart materials and biomimetic materials E.g. drug delivery and substrates for tissue engineering E.g. plastic electronic materials (LEDs) and devices (transistors)

Six key areas of world class MNT expertise:

Polymer IRC and Sheffield Polymer Centre

(Leeds, Bradford, Durham & Sheffield) Soft nanotechnology, smart materials and biomimetic materials E.g. drug delivery and substrates for tissue engineering E.g. plastic electronic materials (LEDs) and devices (transistors)

Kroto Research Institute (Sheffield) Multi-disciplinary nanotechnology research base combining: electronic

nanotechnology (III/IV), nanocharacterisation and nanomanipulation, soft nanotechnology, and tissue engineering

NanoFactory

• A regional showcase for nanomanufacturing excellence and best practice in development and industrial applications of large volume functional consumer products enabled by micro- and nano- technologies

• Single point of entry for expertise, capability and facilities across eight regional universities

www.nanofactory.org.uk

NanoFactory

• Bone replacement (nano-ceramics)• Inner ear implants (micro-moulding)• Flexible screens (coating)• Shin pads (nanofibres)• Luggage (nanofibres)• Car industry

MNT Network

• MNT Network and facilities• Communities and discussion groups• Industrial Map of UK• Industrial Awareness Packs• Events, newsletter, website, etc.

www.mntforum.com

Contents

• Strategy/concept

• What we’ve done already

• What we plan to do

Barriers to Commercialisation of New Technologies

• Academic Barriers

• Industrial Barriers

• Funding Barriers

Academic Barriers to Commercialisation

• Facilities and multi-disciplinary working• Short-term resources• Relative priorities and drivers regarding research, teaching,

and knowledge/technology transfer• Financial drivers for industrial outreach/commercialisation

activities• Understanding of potential industrial applications• Understanding of potential industrial barriers to

commercialisation• Understanding of the whole innovation cycle • Exploitation strategy of University

Industrial Barriers to Commercialisation

• Risk Adversion• Sort-term aims vs timescale for commercialisation

of R&D• Awareness of technology• Linking new technologies to current markets• Single point of contact (knowing where to go)• Cost of developing new technologies

Funding Barriers to Commercialisation

• Proof of concept funding• Finance for early stage companies• Return on investment criteria• Sometimes a bureaucracy barrier

to getting funding

Stimulating business R&D

• Industrial Research and Development Award for Large Companies– Only English region to help large companies to accelerate

R&D (£18.5m)• Grant for R&D

– £3.1m to support innovation in SMEs

Conclusions• Got academic R&D excellence in Nanotechnology

– Investing in making this commercially focussed

• Got infrastructure for academic/industrial collaboration– Investing in utilising this for micro- and nano-technology

Want to generate wealth and economic growth from

new micro- and nano-technologies

Dr Malcolm Butler malcolm.butler@yorkshire-forward.com

+44 (0)114 2229553