Marine Science Workshop, September 2010

2nd UTEN Workshop 2010 – Marine and Bio-Sciences
Research Collaboration & Network Building for Commercialization
Universidade do Algarve-CCMAR – 27-28 September, 2010
Program | Speakers | Reading Materials | Photos

The seas are a challenge and an opportunity for science and industry alike. Portugal’s historical role in finding new lands across the seas can now be materialized in a new era of scientific and economic exploration.

Registration

Registrations should be sent to Sónia Pinto (sonia.pinto@utenportugal.org) no later than 15 September 2010.

Download registration form

Summary

This 2nd UTEN Workshop is organized in collaboration with CCMAR-University of Algarve, the UT Austin|Portugal Program and Fraunhofer-Portugal, and will be held at University of Algarve, Faro, from 27 to 28 September 2010.

On day 1 the workshop will focus on “Research Collaboration & Network Building for Commercialization – Examples in Marine Technologies and Bio-Sciences”: Researchers and entrepreneurs from the UTexas system, Fraunhofer, Portuguese universities and R&D institutes and companies will share their experiences on research collaboration and commercialisation, ranging from robotics to marine biotechnology. Summaries of the presentations are available on the workshop program.

On day 2 the workshop will focus on “Hands-on Training: Research Contracts and Technology Commercialization”, namely negotiation of research and commercialization contracts. The case studies will allow interactive learning and they will be based on technologies from marine science, agriculture and life science.

Main topics for discussion

• Strategic Relationships Between Industry and Universities
• Rationale for research collaboration: how companies work or want to work with universities to create value for both themselves and the universities
• Negotiation of research contracts: IP ownership
• Challenges faced by researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs of research-intensive companies who try to move technologies from inception to market.
• Hands-on Training
  • Typical structures of contract term sheets
  • How to select the right partners (including contract negotiation)

The ecosystems of innovation are undergoing a profound change both at regional level, where universities play key roles as economic development engines, and at industry level, with the open innovation paradigm.

As universities are becoming key sources of discovery and are playing an ever increasing role in how industry innovates, people and networks are the foundations on which to effectively connect academic institutions with the business community.

Global competition, rising R&D costs and thus the need to get more products to the market sooner are some factors forcing companies to reach out to research universities for new ideas and capability. Licensing, corporate sponsored research, consulting engagements, venture capital investment, gifts, and recruitment of graduate students are just some of the ways used to build strategic relationships between industry and universities, and are becoming a regular part of the developing open innovation environment.

Training Focus: building international collaborative research networks and providing case examples of marine and bio sciences commercialization: collaborative research and technology commercialization, in particular technology venturing (university spin-offs) and access to international markets.