1. RIS3 Workshop, Tartu, Estonia Driving economic growth through innovation Professor Richard B. Davies, Vice-Chancellor Swansea University 17th October 2017 .

3. Traditional University 21st Century Research Intensive University
The role of a research intensive university in productivity growth and regeneration
University Domain
Life- and
Career-Enhancing Teaching
World-class
Research
Strategically managed relationships with industry
Employability
Traditional University
Knowledge Economy
21st Century Research Intensive University

4. Complex Challenges Attract inward investment Support local companies
Create companies
License IP
Ensure employable graduates

5. Technology Readiness Levels
Problem 1: A Leadership Gap
Technology Readiness Levels
TRL 1-3
Research
TRL 3-6
Technology development and scale up
TRL 6-8
Component and system development
TRL 8-9
Commercial implementation
University
Market
PUSH
PULL THROUGH
PULL

6. Innovation is NOT a Linear Process
Problem 2: The Myth of Innovation
Innovation is NOT a Linear Process
Basic Research
Applied
Research
Development
Commercialization
University
Market

7. Non-Linear Model of Innovation
Quest for Basic Understanding
New Knowledge
Fundamental Ideas
Basic
Research
Potential Use
Application of Knowledge to
a Specific Subject
“Prototypicalization”
Feedback:
Basic Research
needed for discovery
Search for new
ideas and solutions to
solve longer-term
issues
Applied
Research
Feedback:
Applied Research
needed to design
new product
characteristics
Solve scaling up
problems
Development of Products
Goods and Services
Development
Commercialization
Feedback: Market Signals/
Technical Challenge
Desired Product Alterations
or New Characteristics
Cost/design trade-off

8. An ambitious journey March 2013
Our own research/student growth, and our success in attracting industry to co-locate and companies to spin out meant we were running out of space
In 2013 Swansea embarked on one of the EU’s most significant knowledge economy projects….Turning a derelict BP oil and gas storage facility into a state of the art engineering and management campus to drive regional growth
Importance of ambition at scale and a clear vision - to use University growth as an engine for economic growth in the regions - Working in a region with low skills, low GVA, poor productivity
Focussed on engineering (Swansea is a metallurgy/manufacturing economy) together with Management/Computer science (i.e. the twin tenets of productivity performance)
March 2013

9. Swansea University: Co-location model
Industry
University
Skills
Proto-typing
Basic Research
Blue Skies
Research
Applied
R&D
Training
Postgraduate Students
Manufacture

10. Science and Innovation Bay Campus Phase 1 opened Sept 2015!
An ambitious plan, on a scale that can make a difference……
Delivery is critical…..Swansea has delivered through project management (and rolled out across industry partners and talented students through the EngDoc programme)
Total Cost ≈ €500 million
ERDF ≈ €70 million
EIB ≈ €80 million

11. World Class Research and Teaching Facilities
Undertaking applied/close to market research that is valued by business
Multidisciplinary/industry focussed working is central to our rapid research advancement/delivering impact…..Innovation feedback loops
That culture is tightly embedded in Swansea.
These world class facilities are helping to drive productivity improvements in companies like Rolls Royce…bringing together researchers at the cutting edge of new technologies, with leaders of industry to drive innovation through to market.

12. Equipment to support industrial scale up & manufacturing
Blue skies but also applied/close to market and at a scale that can be commercialised

13. Innovation into commercialisation
Agor IP project – a new model to drive commercialisation from innvoation
Led by Swansea University, AgorIP is working with the Health service and industrial collaborators across Wales to turn innovative research into new products, processes and services.
As part of the AgorIP project, commercial sector experts will help progress new ideas through experimental and industrial development, demonstrating proof of concept to potential funders and attracting further research investment. AgorIP was piloted before large scale investment & secured £4m of private sector funding to create six spin-outs within a year.  
Turns the usual models on its head…..it does not focus on picking winners…..instead focussing on pipeline and deal flow

14. Phase 2: Computational Foundry, ERDF €25 million

15. Swansea City Deal signed: March 2017
Swansea University is on a strong upward trajectory……but our vision is that we take the City region with us.

16. Thank you
In summary….
University’s are more connected than ever before to the market / to politics and policy / productivity and performance of countries and companies / global connections
Swansea’s approach has been to:
Have a bold and clear vision
Be ambitious….scale is needed to make a difference to a region
Pilot new approaches…lessons prevent large scale and costly errors and generate confidence in novel approaches
Focus on planning and delivery…..maintain momentum