Supporting Knowledge TransferPaul Findlay - University of Hertfordshire, UK

STOA WorkshopEuropean Parliament

  

   

  

Summary

• University history and profile• Our mission and strategy• Range of KT activities• Development structure• Delivery mechanisms• Case studies

University history and profile…• Founded 1952 as Hatfield Technical College

– Aerospace and Engineering – de Havilland, Handley Page, GM, BAE Systems

• 1966 Hatfield Polytechnic– Adding ICT and Life Sciences– Elliott, ICL, GSK, Roche, T-Mobile, Eisai

• 1992 University of Hertfordshire– Adding Health, Education, Creative Arts– MGM, Elstree Studios, BBC, Warner

…University history and profile• 20,000 full time equivalent (FTE) students• 1000 academic staff• 1000 professional staff• 11 Schools of Study and 3 Research Institutes• SJT 500 and THE World University rankings• Charity with substantial subsidiary companies

– Polyfield, CIMTech, UNō, Exemplas Holdings• €250M Group turnover• Commercial and research activities about €70M pa• University departments are Strategic Business Units with financial targets

Our mission and strategy

1. Student Experience2. Learning and Teaching3. International Engagement4. Employability and Entrepreneurship

…encourage enterprise and provide... graduates with the confidence to challenge conventional thinking

5. Research, Innovation and Enterprise…high quality, responsive and impactful research, consultancy and client

engagement with demonstrable outputs which meet the needs of partner organisations

Range of KT activities• Collaborative KT projects (part public-funded)

– 150 KT projects and 30 SME PhD studentships– FP Research for the benefit of SMEs

• Contract research• Consultancy• Continuous Professional Development (CPD)• Hire of facilities – both general and specialised

– Innovation Centre and BioPark  bio-incubator• Proof of Concept, spinouts (part public-funded) and licensing• Economic development projects (part public-funded)

KT development structure

KT delivery mechanisms

Case study – EValu8

• €10M subsidiary company, established 2011

• UK Government, ERDF and private funding

• BT, EDF Energy, Cambridge, Cranfield universities 

• Install a refueling/recharging infrastructure across the East of England, linking with networks in London and the Midlands

• Generate confidence among businesses and public that EVs are viable

• A test bed for businesses to develop new technologies, products and services in the transport, built environment, digital and energy sectors

• Example: Felixstowe Port  hydrogen  vehicle trial

Case study - Cryomation

• Knowledge Transfer Partnership with UHSchool of Life Sciences (Dr David Naseby)

• Programme rated ‘Excellent’

• Patent pending technology

• An alternative to cremation and burial, disposing of human and animal remains in an environmentally friendly way

• Liquid Nitrogen freezing, fragmentation, freeze-drying results in a powder that is sterile and compostable, to further sustain life.

• Operational CO2 footprint reduction of up to 80% compared to most traditional cremations, verified by the Carbon Trust

Case study – The Cube

• Dr Mike Page set out to build a compact home, no bigger than 3x3x3 metres on the inside, in which one person could live a comfortable, modern existence with a minimum impact on the environment

• UH PoC and Pre-Investment funding

• Business sponsors and donations

• Exhibited at Edinburgh Science Festival

• Production–ready IP kit in preparation

• Worldwide requests for licensing

Conclusions

• Flexible and adaptive to:

– Surrounding economic environment

– New funding modalities

– New means of delivery

• Commitment to teaching and research quality

– A key attractor for business partners

• Feed-through to student entrepreneurship and employability

Thank you!

p.a.findlay<at>herts.ac.uk