INVENTORY OF GOOD PRACTICES ON OPEN INNOVATION Birmingham Science Park Aston. Birmingham, United Kingdom

Transcription

1 INVENTORY OF GOOD PRACTICES ON OPEN INNOVATION Birmingham Science Park Aston Birmingham, United Kingdom

2 Table of contents 1. Good Practice Profile Good Practice General Description Good Practice Analysis Lessons Learnt Page 2

3 1. Good Practice Profile 1.1. Name of good practice. Birmingham Science Park Aston (BSPA) Localisation of the good practice. Birmingham, United Kingdom Promoter of good practice. Birmingham City Council Sources of information (website): Contact details. Name: Gary Gould Organisation: Birmingham Science Park Aston. Telephone Number: +44 (0) Policy area addressed. Networking and Collaboration. Human Capital and Entrepreneurship Culture. IP management and Technology Markets. Access to Finance. Knowledge and Science and Technology base Page 3

4 1.7. Role/s played by regional public authorities. Enabler. Director. Facilitator. Financier Open Innovation Framework Conditions addressed. Capability: ability to exploit full potential. Network: interaction among actors in innovation systems. Institutional: Innovation system actors (universities, patent offices, ). Framework: regulatory frameworks, IPR regime, consumer demand. Policy: governance capacity Specific aspects dealt with in relation to the regional conditions conducive to better Open Innovation practices. Innovative coaching - Critical mass of high quality research. - Integrated approach on research valorisation: multidisciplinary team & high value services. - Incentives and policies to encourage research groups and departments to actively seek knowledge transfer opportunities. - Creation of appropriate entrepreneurial climate in a university context. - Legal context with respect to exploitation of academic research. - Innovation systems available in the region. Research and technical development - Performing technological due diligence (assessing how unique the methodology/action is in the world / on the market). - Creating an appropriate IP strategy. - Developing a balanced innovation strategy (including R&D roadmap, balanced portfolio of short, medium and long term R&D objectives). - Identifying and providing access to specialised R&D equipment and facilities. Page 4

5 - Identifying and relating to (global) networks of world-class scientists, experts, technical and/or industrial partners. Operalisation - Creating infrastructure for the valorisation or transfer process. - Manage tacit knowledge in relation to hard knowledge, in order to implement the full picture. - Developing adequate contractual arrangements related to IP/liabilities, partners and stakeholders. Management and organisation - Developing management capabilities (decision making skills, deal making skills, presentation skills, etc.). - Formation of a Board of Directors with management experience. - Formation and development of a senior management team with business experience. - Developing adequate HR administrative procedures and arrangements (incl tax/legal aspects). Page 5

6 2. Good Practice Description 2.1. Brief description (one page max.) Birmingham Science City (BSC) is a regional strategic partnership with long term goals between the research, public and private users, researchers and promoters. BSC s vision for 2020 is to develop and use science and technology to improve prosperity and quality of life of Birmingham City and West Midlands region. Birmingham Science City drives advances in five areas: Access to world class Science &Technology Infrastructure. Promotion of technology based new companies. Market demand creation through the support of demonstrative projects. Science & Technology base through basic and applied excellent research. Skills & Attitudes of talent and human resources. Birmingham City Council is supporting the delivery of Birmingham Science City s vision through Birmingham Science Park Aston (BSPA), established nearly 30 years ago, in the City Centre of Birmingham and which has helped the creation of over 500 companies and 5,000 jobs. At present time BSPA is enduring a complete evolution on its spirit following a newly agreed strategic plan, which has aligned the BSPA designs to the Birmingham Science City Vision for In order to attain BSC Vision in 2020, BSPA has taken the Hub concept to a different level through its Science Park Without Walls concept, turning thus on the first UK Science Park without walls. BSPA has been re-incepted as physical place where digitally savvy entrepreneurs will inhabit the location and through digital connectivity create an effective interface between the location and a virtual community brought together to help ensure successful delivery of new commercial products and services in a global environment. Science Parks without Walls integrates the full potential of social networks, and use of ICT collaboration platforms to optimize the mobility to embrace the full potential of collaboration. Thus, BSPA focuses on promoting sector interfaces driven by ICT (Clean Technologies, Health Care and Digital media sectors) through the application of innovative ICT services and facilities. The so called Ideas and Communications Suite is a collaborative digital platform, which enables technology entrepreneurs and start-ups to link up with businesses and centres of innovation and creativity around the world. Furthermore, BSPA was selected by UK Broadband to act as a host for its Birmingham trial of a cuttingedge 4G network. A series of communication masts have been installed on the roof of the Park s Faraday Wharf building, which has enabled tenants to access next generation wireless internet. This paradigm shift for BSPA is involving three fundamental changes: From geography based to community driven entities. Page 6

7 From locally processed innovation to open, borderless innovation. From technology driven to technology enabled spaces: Intelligent and connected buildings, digital collaboration platforms and cloud computing can dramatically change the working space Key features of the good practice. Creates new technology based companies, mainly arising from the 5 Universities on the region, closely connected to the Park: Aston University, University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, Birmingham City University and Sttafordshire University. Creates high value jobs: the innovative technology companies incubator Entrepreneurs for the Future Centre has supported the creation of 78 companies and 40 new high value jobs since November Encourages local (through JANET, Network of UK research institutions), European and world wide (through alliances with CISCO and TATA Communications global players) technology collaborations through use of latest ICT technologies, the Ideas and Communications Suite. Attracts new finance from anywhere in the world, such as CISCO and Tata Communications. Diversifies the local economy into new market niches on regional strategic sectors such as Clean Technologies, provision of Healthcare Services and new Digital Media products Base financing for the good practice. Speed of development is restricted by access to private and public sector funding which is currently being sought. Public funding: 0,5 Million Euro. Private funding: 5,1 Million Euro Owner of the good practice. Birmingham City Council wholly owns BSPA which trades as a separate private company Background and prior references: is the good practice a spin-out? Non applicable Maturity of the good practice. Page 7

8 The shift of BSPA on a Park without walls is a mid-long term process, as it envisions 2020 as a target horizon. The new, 21st Century BSPA, has already commenced with the development of BSPA s Entrepreneur for the Future Centre facility, Entrepreneurs for the Future Centre (e4f), opened on November 2009, a dedicated high tech incubator facility helping the next generation of entrepreneurs to get started and deliver their commercial aspirations is already in place (25 start ups are being incubated at present time). It brings together graduate and postdoctoral technologists and MBA students from around the City Region and links them with experienced management and business leaders. Closely working with this initiative we meet the so called Business Engagement Managers, an intermediary figure put into place by the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick, which help to bridge the gap between the University and business sectors, acting as facilitators for the translation of the business problems to research and innovation solutions. The world wide communication collaborative platform, Ideas and Communications Suite, powered by CISCO, is just available since December 2010 and the project will continue to develop over the next 5 years with the building of a Clean/High Tech Engineering center, an Engineering Academy and the I-Centrum, an Innovation Village (ICT village) Sustainability of the good practice. Birmingham City Council wholly owns BSPA which trades as a separate private company. Real estate investment will be promoted by Birmingham City Council looking for the involvement of private partners. The management of the BSPA will go on in the hands of a senior team which will continue attracting new business to the Science Park and new facilities in order to increase its sustainability, which is ultimately ensured by Birmingham City Council support. Page 8

9 3. Good Practice Analysis 3.1. Criteria used to evaluate the Good Practice and main success factors. Criteria used are more related to the new and original idea of opening up the Science Park to the Global Networks of Innovation through digital means, than to the actual results and impact indicators of the newly launched initiative. Reimagining of traditional Science &Technology parks, through the translation of the hub culture into a Science & Technology park without walls, incepted as a network of ports fostering exchange in the physical and virtual place where innovation communities collaborate. Openness of the Park to the Global Networks of Innovation through the delivery of a decisive networking and collaboration policy supported by new ICT technologies, the Ideas and Communications Suite, built with Cisco TelePresence equipment and which creates direct links to other centres of creativity locally and in locations such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Paris, Barcelona and Dubai. The Park s Ideas and Communications Suite relies on three further networked organizations: JANET (UK network of research institutions), the University of Warwick and Tata Communications. Example of a successful Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) venture aligned to the regional/local strategic policies, which has even led to the design of a strategic planning of the Park following the goals and vision of the regional/local innovation strategy (Birmingham Science City). Integration of different research and business stakeholders on the design and implementation of a regional innovation strategy; the involvement of regional Universities at all levels is noteworthy; participation at the maximum policy board of the Birmingham Science City, collaboration with the Entrepreneurs for the Future Centre (e4f) initiative, participation on the technology groups operating on the Park, Example of successful branding efforts of a region/municipality of linking its image to the Science and Technology prowess capacities, through the delivery of a coherent image and messages by all stakeholders involved Good Practice Results and impact indicators. Some preliminary results: Number of companies supported: 78. Number of new jobs created: 40. Number of Start Ups incubated at present time: 25. Inclusion of BSPA into Cisco s Global Exchange for Growth programme. Inclusion of BSPA into Tata Communication s Public Telepresence suites located throughout 21 major cities across the globe. Page 9

10 3.3. Level of importance for Good Practice s success of (1-5 scale, 1 = low...5 = Very high) Please rate the level of importance of the following elements in their contribution to the success of the good practice. Element Building a partnership Ensuring contribution from the private sector Placing the project into wider policy context Ensuring political support Planning and formulating a proposal Administrative management Externalising management of activities Private financial resources Public financial resources Addressing a clear need/demand Filling a gap in the innovation infrastructure 3.4. Stakeholders involvement - Description of Stakeholders involved: Birmingham City Council: Local public authority, actively involved on the Birmingham 2020 Vision (Birmingham Big City Plan), and promoter of the Birmingham Science City Ideas for Life partnership with regional Universities. It owns BSPA, which is operated as a separate private company. It is promoting the real estate investments linked to the development of the new i-centrum (ICT village) and has promoted with UK Broadband the installation of the equipment needed for a cutting-edge 4G network installed on BSPA. Advantage West-Midlands: Page 10

11 Regional development agency for the West-Midlands region. In June 2010, the Government announced that all RDAs, including Advantage West Midlands, will close by March 2012, with economic development and regeneration to be led by central Government departments and newly-created Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Advantage West-Midlands is the Managing Authority of the ERDF Regional Operational Programme, which funds BSPA s Entrepreneurs for the Future Centre Universities and research institutions: The 5 Universities present on the region are actively involved on the Entrepreneurs for the Future Centre initiative. The University of Warwick and University of Birmingham alliance, for the development of joint research projects on local economic strategies, has been granted with more than 57 million pounds by Advantage West-Midlands and ERDR funds for the development of projects on the Translational Medicine, Future Energy (Hydrogen and energy efficiency) and Advanced Materials fields. Both Universities manage and support the active role of the so-called Business Engagement Managers. Private global companies: CISCO and TATA Communication s multinational companies have established long term alliances and investments with BSP-A providing the technology allowing to get access to their innovation branches all over the world. - Stakeholders who participated in the design of the good practice and level of involvement during planning stage: Stakeholder Local/Regional public authority Local/Regional agency Knowledge Institutes Companies Business networks National public authority National agency Other:... - Actors who participated in the implementation of the good practice and level of involvement during implementation stage: Stakeholder Regional public authority Regional agency Knowledge Institutes Companies Business networks National public authority National agency Other:... Page 11

12 4. Lessons Learnt 4.1. Lessons Learnt: Things you would do differently if you were to start again. Page 12