Raport on Establishing Knowledge Transfer Zone for Socio-Economic Development - Organising Regional Conference on Knowledge Public Transfer Zone (Knowledge Transfer for Regional Socio-Economic Development). - Task 7.4. Specific solutions allowing for effective transfer of research findings to industry were presented during the conference Platform for Commercialisation of Knowledge held at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the (IPC PAS) in Warsaw on 20th May 2014. The conference was addressed to patent writers, graduate students, doctoral students and young doctors. One of the topics discussed during the conference was the functioning of the Innovation Corps a project team at the IPC PAS responsible for evaluation of projects presented by researchers and conversion of the projects into feasible business models, adequately tailored to specific investor needs. Another topic discussed during the conference was the activity and achievements of the spinoff companies established at the IPC PAS after the 2010 amendment of the Act on the Polish Academy of Sciences that enabled the institutes of the to have shares in companies commercialising inventions. It was many times stressed during the conference, how important in the development of technology companies is the role played by a stimulating environment, and how important for building the culture of academic entrepreneurship are the activities similar to those taken by the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the PAS towards establishing science parks in Warsaw. The conference Platform for Commercialisation of Knowledge was completed with a poster session The conference was attended by 76 participants from 24 different institutions Conference program: 10:00-10:10 Robert Hołyst, IPC PAS Director / Roman Luboradzki - Opening / Introduction 10:10 10:40 Marcin Izydorzak - "Scope Fluidics - the first spin-off at the IPC PAS" 10:40-11:00 Piotr Garstecki - "Curiosity Diagnostics - from curiosity to a new diagnostic method" 11:00-11:20 Rafał Bator - "Why money is more important than knowledge" 11:20-11:40 Agnieszka Tadrzak - "Paths of knowledge commercialisation in the IPC PAS" 11:40-12:30 Lunch 12:30-15:30 Poster session
Abstracts: Marcin Izydorzak Scope Fluidics, Chief Executive Officer Scope Fluidics is a spin-off company founded in 2010 and designed to deliver to the market products that take advantage of revolutionary microfluidic technologies. Scope also serves its partners with consulting and R&D services. Scope Fluidics generated know-how and intellectual property in the areas that benefit from the control of flow that microfluidics offers, including: atomization of liquids, formulation of active compounds devices for controlled release, and automated handling of small samples of liquids. The history of the company from the idea up to the present will be described as well as the difficulties which may occur during the creation of spin-off enterprise. Piotr Garstecki Curiosity Diagnostics, Chief Executive Officer Curiosity Diagnostics is a spin-off company designed to deliver to the market products that take advantage of innovative technologies in digital assaying. Since its foundation in 2012 Curiosity Diagnostics has developed revolutionary algorithms for digital analytical and diagnostic assays. Digital assays--a new paradigm in analytical chemistry--partition the sample into a multitude of separate compartments, amplify the presence of target molecules to a measurable signal and--on the basis of the number of positive signals--calculate the most probable initial concentration. The proprietary algorithms of Curiosity Diagnostics allow for: revolutionary reduction of the number of partitions of the sample, independent tuning of the dynamic range and precision, precise quantitation without calibration, and extraction of the full information contained in the result of amplification. With the use of these inventions Curiosity Diagnostics prototypes diagnostic apparatus for rapid and precise quantitation of pathogens in clinical samples, all in the point-of-care format. Rafał Bator Partner, Enterprise Investors The provocative title "Why money are more important than knowledge" is due to different perspective, represented by venture capital investor - in contradistinction to needs and hopes of the scientist starting his spinn-off. During the talk several - important from an investor's
perspective - topicss will be discussed, such as the valuation of the investment, the investor cooperation with the inventor, management, etc. The stages of development of the company will be persented as well as the possibility of potential conflicts between scientist and investor and the way to solve them. Agnieszka Tadrzak IPC PAS The purpose of the speech was to encourage young scientists to be active part in commercialization process and provide them with the information on available support offered by the IPC PAS. The presentation was divided into four parts. At the beginning, most important barriers for science commercialization in Poland were identified among them: economic factors, structural barriers and administrative barriers. The speaker also strongly stressed that most important factor, blocking sciencebusiness knowledge transfer, is insufficient supply of new concepts/ideas reported by scientists and lack of entrepreneurial culture in research units. Also some statistics were presented which proved that science-business knowledge transfer in the field of chemistry is possible and more and more welcome by investors. In the second part some facts and myths related to the process of scientific knowledge transfer were presented, such as: period from publication and finding out R&D results by business sector - till their commercial exploitation, description of typical innovator and traits of the scientific concept capable of commercialization. Next, the speaker indicated factors which ease start of new academic spin-offs such as: administrative and R&D support offered by the mother-research entity, its capital involvement (influencing credibility of the new entity for investors), cooperation with other entities on the market, patenting ability and business location (close to the mother-research entity or similar start-ups). It was proven that some market characteristics (small market without big companies and possibility of extracting niche market) may improve the start-up s chances to make a hit. Finally, the speaker presented the concept of supporting scientists eager to set up business based on scientific knowledge in the IPC PAS. It assumes creation of new advisory body in the Institute ( Korpus innowacji ), responsible for transforming scientific ideas into business models, ready to be presented before investors. Main tasks of this body will include: analysis and pre-evaluation of the application project reported by scientists; selection of a best method for commercialization - identification of a source of funding (preparation of grant application - if applicable),
elaboration with the applicant of a feasible business model, recruitment of indispensable human resources for the project team, support in finding other necessary resources, including office space in favorable surrounding (preferably close to other start-ups operating on the IPC PAS premises), contact with investors, negotiations, preparation of legal and internal documents aimed at obtaining all necessary permissions. At each stage Korpus innowacji will consult the applicant to adopt tailor-made measures for a given application project to meet investors requirements and applicant s needs. List of posters: 1. Aldona Majcher: A rapid method for the study of ligand-macromolecule interactions. 2. Anna Lewandrowska: A fast method for the determination of diffusion coefficients. 3. Marcin Dąbrowski: A mesoporous molecularly imprinted organosilica film as the recognition unit of chemosensor for determination of L-arabitol. 4. Agnieszka Magdzierz: An effective combination of (ultra)sonication and light for the synthesis of palladium doped TiO 2. 5. Krzysztof Jańcik: Analiza Możliwości Zastosowania Mikronapawania Laserowego w Newralgicznych Strefach Zaworów Wylotowych Silników Spalinowych. 6. Magdalena Czekalska: Automated droplet microfluidic system for generation of lipid bilayers and for screening of activity of membrane proteins. 7. Beata Kusiak: Cellulose nanocomposite with embedded carbon nanotubes. 8. Evelin Witkowska: Detection and identification of bacterial cells in blood samples on gold-silver hybrid SERS substrate. 9. Tan-Phat Huynh: Electrochemically synthesized molecularly imprinted polymer for determination of adenosine-triphosphate (ATP). 10. Krzysztof Sozański: Formation of Nanoparticle Monolayers Utilizing Self-Assembly of Bolaamphiphiles. 11. Krzysztof Jańcik: Kształtowanie Technologicznej Warstwy Wierzchniej Pierścieni Tłokowych Silnika Spalinowego z Wykorzystaniem Ablacyjnej Mikroobróbki Laserowej. 12. Wojciech Chrzanowski: Method and Device for Metal Surface Modification High Voltage Electric Spark - the patent GB1315540. 13. Tomasz Kamiński: Microdroplet chemostat for highly parallel studies in microbiology. 14. Witold Postek: Microfluidic Technique for Point-of-Care Digital PCR 15. Wojciech Chrzanowski: Mikrostruktura stali 100CrMnSi6-4 po hartowaniu laserowym.
16. Anna Celebańska: New electrodes and their application. 17. Anna Cieślak: Novel zinc carbonate nanomaterials derived from RZnOH/CO 2 systems. 18. Wojciech Napadłek: Opracowanie technologii Ablacyjnej Micro- i Nanotechnoobróbki laserowej dla Przemysłu Lotniczego i Motoryzacji. 19. Paweł Dębski: Optimisation of digital assays for microfluidic diagnostics. 20. Marta Sosnowska: Piezomicrogravimetric and impedimetric DNA sensors based on the biotin derivatized bis(bithienyl)methane conducting polymer. 21. Witold Adamkiewicz: Platform for SERS analysis and production method thereof. 22. Edwin Sieredziński: Prywatyzacja badań taksonomicznych - czy fakt dokonany? 23. Dagmara Chmielewska-Śmietanko: Radiation treatment of library and archival collections for microbiological decontamination. 24. Marta Siek: SERS-active silver nanoparticulate substrates for neurotransmitters detection. 25. Paweł Lisowski: SonoPhotodeposition advanced methodology for the preparation of bimetallic nanoparticles Pd-Au and Pd-Cu supported on Titania-P90: photocatalytic air detoxification. 26. Wojciech Chrzanowski: Stereometria powierzchni oraz mikrostruktura stali 100CrMnSi6-4 po ablacyjnym teksturowaniu laserowym. 27. Dawid Kałuża: Thermodynamic of Ion Transfer Processes under Microfluidic Conditions. 28. Wojciech Napadłek: Wykorzystanie Mikroobróbki Laserowej w procesach Technologicznych Renowacji Powłok Lakierowych.
Appendix 1 Conference poster