Webinar on 1st June 3.30- 4.30pm IST

Intrapreneurship and Innovation in Engineering Education

V.Thanikachalam, B.E., M.Tech., Ph.D., M.S., FIE., FIGS

(vthani2025@gmail.com)

1.6 million Engineering Students and 0.080 million Faculty Members

Growing needs of Engineering Intrapreneurs in India

Plan of Presentation• Intrapreneurs ?• The needs of Indian Students• Entrepreneurs• Policies of Fortune 500 Companies• Problems• Opportunities• Centers• Model• Barriers• Guidelines

Intrapreneurship Faculty Engagement forInnovation to accelerateInstitutional Growth

Who is an Intrapreneur ?• Coined in 1980 by Gifford

Pinchot , Management Consultant

• According to him:- Intrapreneurs focus on innovation and creativity-They transform an idea into profitable venture - The management has to create an environment where the employees are free to explore ideas

3M• INNOVATION “THOU

SHALT NOT KILL A NEW PRODUCT IDEA”

• RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUAL INITITIVE AND PERSONAL GROWTH

• TOLERANCE FOR HONEST MISTAKES

• PRODUCT QUALITY AND RELIABILITY

American ExpressEncouragement of individual initiative

BOEINGTACKLING HUGE CHALLENGES AND RISKS

CITICORP• AUTONOMY AND

ENTREPRENEURSHIP(VIA DECENTRALIZATION)• MERITOCRACY• AGGRESSIVENESS and

SELF- CONFIDENCE

FORDPEOPLE ARE THE SOURCE OF OUR STRENGTH

IBMGIVE FULL CONSIDERATION TO THE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE

MERCKScience-based innovation, not imitation

MotorolaContinuous Self-renewal

In Search of Excellence-Tom Peters & Robert H. Waterman Jr. (2003)

• Autonomy and entrepreneurship: Breaking the corporation into small companies and encouraging them to think independently and competitively

• Productivity through people: Creating in all employees the awareness that their best efforts are essential and they will share in the rewards of the company’s success

Who are Faculty Intrapreneurs?• 1-2% of creative faculty members in the engineering institutes

plan innovative projects and programs under external funding agencies and generate income as entrepreneurs using the existing resources and infrastructure

• Bold, creative, highly knowledgeable, risk takers and star performers• Think out of box• Take on a task within the institute to increase the capacity of the institute.

The Needs of Indian Students (Deepak Khazanchi, 2016)

• Applied knowledge/theoretical emphasis: Translate skills into ability to solve practical business or applied research problems

• Critical inquiry: Critical inquiry abilities leading to an ability to evaluate options logically and coherently

• Engage in reflective, independent, and deep thinking• Entrepreneurial thinking: Early thinking of the mind to be open to creativity,

“Imagineering” and innovation in one’s thinking• Academic integrity• Multidisciplinary in addressing real world problems• Cross-disciplinary perspectives• Academic professional ethics

Induction of Students into Intrapreneurship

• Early exposure to analytical thinking to solve the project based problems

• Bringing their talents• Bet on their tech-savvy• Opportunity to use diverse thinking• Plan internship

Quality of EntrepreneursSeek Policies, Technologies, and Applications that Resolve Barrier to Increase Productivity

Learning from the Outstanding Entrepreneur

• Drivers of Innovation within the Institute• Seek to Provide

Solutions to Unique Industry Driven Problems

Entrepreneurs • Have broad vision• Establish organizations to

generate innovative products• Take risks, but within the context

of the environment• Have more directly applicable

skills and competencies for a selected project

• Focus on the project undertaken• Select creative executives and

managers• Encourage them to deliver

outstanding products

Problems of Faculty Intrapreneurs• Non-focused Educational Environment• No-delegation of required authority for project based activities• Additional works beyond the standards/norms• Frequent changes in the project staff• Merging project gains into grants-in-aid• Barriers to submit the bid documents

Opportunities for Undertaking Sponsored Programs and Projects

• Programs under International Development Agencies (IDAs)

• Programs under various Ministries• Programs under AICTE, UGC, DST,

TIFAC & State Governments• Programs under MNCs, & IDAs• Programs under public sector

organizations• Programs under private sector

companies

Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Incubation (CEDI) of NIT, Trichy• Under Technological Incubation and

Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE) scheme of Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, GOI

• Offers incubation facility along with finance and mentoring

• Support entrepreneurs• Potential for commercializing innovative ideas in

the areas of ICT• Convert and Transfer Technology Ideas in various

disciplines of Science, Engineering & Technology into Processes, Products and Services, and Technology -Areas:

• Real –time Embedded System

Trichy Regional Engineering College- Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park (TREC-STEP)

• Mission- Motivate and Inspire Students- Equip them with necessary Skills- Provide necessary Assistance• Objectives- Promote Creative Thinking & Efficient

Work Culture- Develop Communication, Marketing and Management Skills- Identify Viable Business Plans- Secure Finance through Venture

Capitalists

IISC Scientists, BangaloreIntrapreneurs in Shock Wave Technology

Prof. KPJ Reddy Prof. G Jagadeesh

IISC’s Super Wave Technologiesincubated by

Society for Innovation and Development (SID)

Prof. KPJ Reddy, IISC• Sending shock waves into the rock and

creating precise cracks that will open up• A small area of one millionth of a square

meter of high pressure and temperature in a gas or liquid that travels at supersonic speeds

• Causes physical effects when it hits• Controlled Process• Collaborators: ONGC, ISRO, & Parry Agro• Uses: Extracting natural gas• Results in start up company• Opened up new avenues for

commercialization

Prof. G Jagadeesh, IISC• Shock waves would be

useful in transferring genes to a cell, artificially inseminating farm animals, delivering drugs without using needles, drying tea leaves quickly, reducing fungal infections in cotton seeds etc.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Center (IEDC) of IIT Indore• Encourages entrepreneurship

for technology development, economic and social stability for India• Students are in the process of

having their own start-ups• Applying innovations into

practically for the benefit of global citizens

Funding Organizations• CSIR and TIFAC• Department of Science

and Technology (DST)•Ministry of HRD under

IMPRINT ( IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology)

MIT’s Initiatives• Delivering a practical education• Learning by doing• 60 entrepreneurship courses were

offered in 2014-15• Martin Trust Center for MIT

Entrepreneurship• Despande Center for Technology

Innovation• Venture Mentoring Service• Bernard M Gordon-MIT Engineering

Leadership Legatum Centre for Development & Entrepreneurship

• MIT Enterprise Forum

Consulting Club at MIT• Business Discussion Nights- Biweekly discussion of interesting and impacting topics- Volunteer Consulting Group

• Seminar Series- Invited Speakers in a Variety of Industries to Practice Insight in Business

• Case Practice- Weekly, biweekly, monthly practice

• Special Lecture Series- Topics range from introduction to finance• Harvard-MIT Case Competition

Model: Institute supported Intrapreneurs for Innovation

• Support from the Board of Governors• Strong Institute Leadership• Culture to support and reward Intrapreneurs• Support for cross disciplinary and interdisciplinary teams• Nurtures the champions for innovation and development

Empowerment and DecentralizationEmpower Intrapreneurs and Decentralize Project Administration

Ecosystem• Establish a Center for

undertaking Consultancy works and Projects• Support Interdisciplinary

approach connecting various needed departments• Provide adequate

Resources and Technical Support Staff

Values that would Support Intrapreneurs• Appreciation for creativity• Decentralization and empowerment• Encouragement for high quality, co-operation

and collaboration• Empowerment• Facilitation for critical thinking, integrity and

honesty• Trust and freedom with accountability• Institutionalization of professionalism• Transparency• Respect for diversity• Welcoming outstanding team work• Recognition of achievement

Innovation Centers• Exclusive dedicated centers which

combine sponsored projects, research, product development, testing, revising, patenting, executive development, faculty development, mentoring the graduate students and developing capstone projects and practicums

• Foundation for technology transfer• Develop new entrepreneurs• Incubation centers• One stop solution consultancy centers• Commercial Development• Large scale collaboration with the

industries

State of the Art• Mark Gorden recommended the commercialization

of university owned technology• US Senate Task Force emphasized University-

Industry Partnerships through Large Scale Collaborations

• IIT Chennai established an Industrial Park to promote innovation, created physical infrastructure support system for R&D, incubation of entrepreneurial ventures, commercial development and facilitating networking with professional resources

• IIT Mumbai focused on the innovation and established entrepreneurship park

• IIT Kharagpur established Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park

• IIT Delhi established a Foundation for innovation and technology park

Barriers to Faculty Intrapreneurs• Kezar and Lester (2009) identified the following factors:- Limited professionalism of the faculty members- Discrepancies and water tight departments- Limited training and socialization- Tenure of the faculty- Bureaucratic and hierarchical administrative structures- Clash between academic and administrative structures

Barriers to Faculty Intrapreneurs…• NO Significant

Reward System

• NO Performance

Management• NO Business

Plan

Guidelines for Deepening Department Collaboration

• Hower A. Mark (2012) suggested:- Promote a center of shared leadership and

responsibility for institutional goals- Develop shared vision of the institute- Actively reduce the barriers to collaboration and integrate practices- Create professional development activities

Guidelines …• Develop institutional rewards and

recognition processes that support collaborative practices

• Actively seek to expand the diversity processes that support collaboration and individual practices

• Reflect periodically as an institute of the systems, process and relationships of the faculty members in the projects

Focus of the Institutional Culture on Intrapreneurs (Bergquist and Pawlak, 2008)• Collegial: Developing the values and quality of character of society’s future leaders• Managerial: Commitment to serve underserved population• Developmental: Creation of programs and activities furthering the personal and professional growth• Advocacy- Establishment of equitable and egalitarian policies

for the distribution of resources and benefits in the institution

Focus of the Institutional Culture…• Virtual: Values open, shared, responsive educational system- Connects to global and technological advances of recent

times- Responds to the challenges facing higher educationIncluding economic constraints and declining public supports• Tangible: Finds meaning in roots, its community and its spiritual grounding• Creates a sense of ownershipamong new faculty members onthe ongoing projects

Statewide Governing Boards (Paul Linenfelter, Richard Novak, Richard Legon , 2008)

• Built in connection with business and civic leaders to the higher education public policy dialogs

• Provide permanent forum for higher education policy

• Balance institutional priorities with the public good

• Show willingness to help, lead and support strategic changes

• Engage in system wide and statewide support for institutional planning

Leadership Challenges (Paul Lingerfelter, Richard Novak, Richard Legon, 2008)

• Arise from uneven attraction to Board Member selection process

• Improve the Board’s capacity and performance• Select deserving executives on the basis of their

understanding of institutional vision and performance• Build greater merit into the appointment process• Ensure focus on high performance• Ensure needed delegation to intraprenuers

The Board of GovernorsImprove the Board’s Capacity, Vision and Mission

Needed Improvements from the Board• Establish a standing committee on industrial

collaborations• Generate goals and objectives for consultancy

projects, innovations, & sponsored projects,• Encourage to plan and implement interdisciplinary

projects• Encourage internal revenue/fund generation

through sponsored research and development projects

• Encourage intrapreneurs• Empower them• Establish consultancy centers and extensions

centers in the industrial corridors and hubs• Encourage consultancy center activities

Selection ProcessSelect deserving faculty members on the basis of their understanding of institute’s core values, vision, mission and goals

Management of Projects• Constitute high quality faculty• Fix tangible target to achieve• Evaluate the achievement and

measure productivity• Reward people• Recruit right faculty in

management

Managing the Consultancy Projects

Quality Action plans

Things to be avoided• Transfer of faculty members who have

undertaken research programs and projects• Ousting the dedicated technical and

support staff suddenly who are in the projects

• Use of project funds for unrelated activities• Adding more and more works to the key

project faculty• Delaying the release of funds for approved

project related activities• Concealing the inquires for the projects• Demanding the inclusion of unrelated

faculty in the ongoing projects

Protect the IntrapreneursBuild greater merit into the appointment process

Faculty Intrapreneurs • Intrapreneurs are key drivers

in the engineering institutions and can serve as excellent leaders

• They further develop the institute to reach excellence.

• Institutes have to encourage and recognize successful intrapreneurs so that the institute could grow faster.

New demands on the faculty according to Peter Drucker(1999)

• Who am I?• What are my strengths?• How do I work?• Where do I belong?• What is my contribution?• How do I take relationship responsibility?• How do I plan?

Ultimate Benefits to the Students and to the University

• Industry relevant curriculum• Improvements in skills and competencies• Attraction for high performing faculty members• Internships and projects• Campus placements• Patents• Start up ideas• Incubation• Utility of resources• Internal revenue generation and utilization• Integration of knowledge and human capital• Facilitation to the regional competitiveness • Super leadership

Here is your future reward!

Thank you for your participation,

Your questions please(vthani2025@gmail.com)