Enterprise Ireland – Best Connected -

Patient perceptions of long term illness are changing. Where previously the diagnosis of a chronic condition might have been met with a certain resignation, patients have become more proactive and expectant of how their condition will be managed and their wellness maintained. Government perceptions of healthcare are changing also. There is a growing recognition that the burgeoning cost of providing quality care is likely to bankrupt nations if not controlled. For example, US healthcare spending is currently 17% of GDP and rising, with some 90% of spend on chronic illness.

One promising solution to both these aspects is, variously, known as Connected Health, telemedicine or e-health. In brief, CH involves the deployment of sensor and communication technologies to the individual, the home and other locations in order to earlier detect risk, onset or worsening of disease and thereby reduce the severity of that disease and reduce the burden of acute care in the hospital.  Currently, CH solutions are being rolled out for those chronic conditions with the largest catchment of patients and the highest burden of cost such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

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‘PRTLI Cycle 5, the largest investment in research in the State’s history, will make Ireland Europe’s innovation hub’ – Minister O’Keeffe

The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD, today [Friday July 16th 2010] announced a €359 million investment plan for research and innovation which will create jobs and new enterprises and drive Ireland’s economic recovery.
The Government’s Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) invests in physical infrastructure and research projects in our higher education institutions. Under Cycle 5 of the programme, announced today, the Government will invest €296.1 million, with €62.6 million coming from private non-Exchequer sources.PRTLI Cycle 5 will run between 2011 and 2016 – the period of the revised capital programme. Click here to read more

Ireland’s first Competence Centres for industry-led R&D were announced on 10th March by the Tanaiste Mary Coughlan T.D in Dublin.  There will be 9 centres in total, 5 centres are already up and running. Click on each link to watch a 3 minute video in which industry personnel and researchers involved explain what each centre will be working on over the next 5 years:
Competence Centre for Bioenergy & Biorefining, based in NUI Galway, co-hosted by UL and UCD
Competence Centre for Applied Nanotechnology, based in Tyndall UCC, co-hosted by TCD CRANN
The Competence Centre for Composite Materials, based in UL and co-hosted by UCD
Competence Centre for IT Innovation, based in NUI Maynooth
Competence Centre for Microelectronics, based in Tyndall, UCC and co-hosted by UL
Work is ongoing to create the following Competence Centres;
Manufacturing Productivity
This centre will address the key challenges in developing Ireland as an environment for high value added manufacturing. Some of the companies involved are Pfizer, Intel, Bombardier and Seagate.
Energy Efficiency
Using new multi-disciplinary approaches, this centre will focus on making manufacturing in Ireland more competitive, cleaner and greener. Companies involved include Xerox, Analog Devices, SEI and Intel.
E-learning
The aim of the Competence Centre in E-learning is to create a world-class environment to combine learning and innovation for the benefit of Irish industry.
Financial Services
This centre will create a research environment where the challenges facing the financial services industry can be efficiently met positioning Ireland as an innovation leader in this global sector.
For more information visit www.competencecentres.ie

Enterprise Ireland is currently seeking new Business Partners to help us create start-up companies.  We want to hear from successful business people to partner with us to transform State funded research projects into profitable commercial ventures. Our Business Partners Programme is fast tracking the creation of new companies by giving you access to our portfolio of potential start-ups. It will be your job to lead them to the marketplace. We would like to hear from you if you have ;

• a strong commercial track record
• excellent business credentials
• capacity to invest
• ability to identify commercial opportunity
•  vision to transform new technologies into solid businesses

Watch out for the adverts in the national press and click here to check out the details on our website.

Writing a business plan for the first time is a hard thing to do. Here are some links that might get your head in the zone.  If you want to direct people to other references please do by commenting below.
How to write a great business plan by William A. Sahlman, Harvard Business School. It’s from the last decade but the basics of a good business plan haven’t changed that much since.
For some interesting things to avoid including in your plan and subsequent pitch check out the World’s Greatest Collection of Lies by Guy Kawasaki in his blog How to Change the World.

If you have something to say about research commercialisation in Ireland, welcome to your blog.  Also, we have reached full capacity for this year’s Applied Research Forum  on the 18th of June in the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8. If you haven’t already registered, check back here for updates on how it all goes.

We will be talking about defining and building stronger links with industry on June 18th in the Guinness Storehouse.  One of the big questions is ‘how do you start working with industry?  To give you an example of how these links start, here is some news of one such link between a company called Wirelite Sensors Ltd.  and the Tyndall Institute at UCC was released on Friday (15th May).  Click here to read about this partnership 
What do you think of Innovation Partnerships as a way of building links with industry?

In the 2008 survey of researchers conducted by Enterprise Ireland, less than half of those surveyed felt they have the skills required to commercialise their research. Similarly, the researchers that participated in the breakout sessions at the Applied Research Forum in June 2008, said that there is a ‘skills gap’ around the business aspect of research commercialisation. They said that capability around applying for funding, writing business plans and applying for patents is weak among the research community.

Do you agree? 

Working away on getting this year’s applied research forum organised – the website is live and posters have gone out to the colleges to advertise it. Last year we had 200 researchers – hope to top that this year!  Main focus is on how applied research can help to revive the economy. Does anyone have any thoughts that we can build into the discussion?