Ignite Technology Transfer Office Commercialisation Grants TTO Commercialisation Programme Ruairi Friel PhD, MBA Ignite Technology Transfer Office NUI Galway November 13 th, 2012

Ignite Technology Transfer Office Outline Purpose of commercialisation grants Range of commercialisation grants What questions need to be addressed Grant examples

Ignite Technology Transfer Office Purpose of Commercialisation Grants: Mind the gap early-stage research commercialisable technology Funding gap funding

Filling the Funding Gap Prototyping Proof-of-concept –Cell culture –In vitro studies Small animal studies Regulatory issues Market validation Ignite Technology Transfer Office

Outcome of commercialisation grant Validation: –Proof that market/need exists –Proof that concept works –Path to market established –Moved concept further along the value chain Ignite Technology Transfer Office

Range of commercialisation grants – third level institutes SFI: Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA) ~1 year, €100k feasibility-study-2012/ EI: Commercialisation Fund Commercial Case Feasibility Grant –~4 months, €15k – desk-based study…no lab work Commercialisation Fund –1-3 years, up to €350k Research/Commercialisation-Fund.htmlhttp:// Research/Commercialisation-Fund.html Ignite Technology Transfer Office

Range of commercialisation grants – partner with companies Enterprise Ireland: –Innovation Vouchers: €5-9k –Innovation Partnerships: € k Intertrade Ireland: –Fusion programme: £16-23,250k Ignite Technology Transfer Office

Range of commercialisation grants – partner with companies IRCSET –EMPOWER/ EMBARK: PhD/Post-doc –Enterprise Partnership Scheme EU –FP7 consortia –IAPP –ITN Ignite Technology Transfer Office

Other funding sources? Not an exhaustive list: –Other funders… –Charities… Be creative! Ignite Technology Transfer Office

General: what questions to be addressed Why should your commercial project get funded? “We can make it for X and sell it for Y – big profits!!” –How big is the market though? “Company X sell it, and they’re huge” –Company X sell this and 2,000 other items Ignite Technology Transfer Office X X

what questions to be addressed Licensing or spin-out opportunity? Is there a market need? i.e. actual need not a perceived one –How is this validated? How large is the market? (validation) What’s the USP of your product compared to competitor’s? –Price? Technical? How innovative is your product? (patent protection? Know-how?) Path-to-market? Regulatory issues? Manufacturing? Distribution? Cost-to-market? Clinical trials? Manufacturing scale-up? Ignite Technology Transfer Office Market Opportunity Exists Credible Realistic

How do I achieve this? Secondary research: market reports available? –Caution: ensure the information is specific to your market e.g. global diagnostics market: $XBn p.a. Primary research: –End-users: who is your end-user? –Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) –Industry –Specialists (IP, Regulatory, manufacturing etc.) –Letters of support Ignite Technology Transfer Office NDAs!!

Examples: EI commercial case feasibility study EI: commercial case feasibility study –Used to lead into a full Commercialisation Fund application – rolling calls –Used to address lack of market knowledge, make industry contacts, build commercial case –Applied in conjunction with TTO –Hire external consultant to perform study –End result: report and full CF application Ignite Technology Transfer Office

EI: Commercialisation Fund Projects: “that address a gap or need in the market by developing innovative technologies that will ideally be ready for licensing to Irish industry or may form the basis of a new start-up in 2-5 years” 2-3 calls per year –Typically Feb, (Aug), Oct Apply via TTO and EI commercialisation specialist Staged projects: 1-3 stages: stop/go Ignite Technology Transfer Office

EI: Commercialisation Fund Evaluation Process: –2 stage process –Phase 1: internal review Commercial case: size of market, validation of market Irish economic impact: opportunity, route of exploitation Technology innovation: innovation, feasibility –Phase 2: internal/external panel review: Workplan, budget, management etc Ignite Technology Transfer Office

SFI: TIDA Feasibility Earlier stage wrt EI Commercialisation Fund Restrictions re: eligible applicants Aims: –Demonstrate feasibility of an innovative idea for commercial benefit –Develop awareness of the commercialisation process –Encourage movement from academic to enterprise activities Ignite Technology Transfer Office

TIDA: review process Quality and novelty of the proposed innovation; Potential commercial opportunities for the proposed innovation; Significance, including usefulness of the proposed innovation; Strategic impact of the proposed innovation; Fit with National Research Prioritisation areas ; Level of previous EI funding; in cases where applications are deemed to be of equal merit, preference will be given to applicants who have not previously secured EI funding; Opportunities for Convergence. Ignite Technology Transfer Office

TIDA: application Project proposal: 5 pages –What evidence for a commercial opportunity? –What question does this proposal address? –Why is this question significant? –How will the question be addressed and what are the expected outcomes? –Track-record of success Ignite Technology Transfer Office

Questions? Comments? Ignite Technology Transfer Office