Division of Business
Partnerships, Innovation & Knowledge Transfer
March 2004
1. Business Partnerships
1.1 SEIC
The Systems Engineering Innovation
Centre is proceeding. Refurbishment of
the Sir Denis Rooke building is complete, and the contractors handed over the
main building on 10 February 2004. The Systems Engineering HEIF funded Business
Development Officers are starting to have an impact. The Strategy Board,
made up of senior representatives of LU, BAES and emda, has agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) for the
SEIC. The "Academic Performance" KPIs are as laid down by
the Dean of Engineering as necessary to obtain a 5* or equivalent rating in the
next RAE.
1.2 External support for SEIC
·
The
joint EPSRC/BAE Systems call for expression of interest is being
evaluated. A co-ordinated response was
managed by BP staff working with the HOD Systems Engineering, and thirty
expressions were submitted from Loughborough, a considerable number of which
are multidisciplinary in character, with staff from both Science and
Engineering faculties participating. The submitted bids will be shortlisted at
a EPSRC hosted meting at Warwick in April and subsequently LU will submit the
defined work programme to EPSRC as the bid for the joint fund.
·
Results
of the application for an Engineering Doctorate Centre are still awaited.
Currently the submitted bid is out for external assessment by EPSRC.
·
Application
to the Royal Academy of Engineering for a jointly funded Research Chair with
BAE Systems has been drafted and is under discussion and an application for an
EPSRC ‘Star Appointment’ is almost resolved and a proposal will go to LU’s
Operations –Sub-Committee to approve the two appointments. LU’s commitment is
to retain the chairs after funding ceases in 5 years and to contribute about
30% to one of the chairs.
1.3 CEME
The Centre for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence is operational for further education students in early September 2003. The Dagenham NTI Co-ordinator is now in post, and working with the Dean of Engineering to develop higher education provision, and promote Loughborough’s role. A key skills project is now running and aims to work with SMEs in the area and Ford’s supply chain. LU have taken steps to begin the work of Phase 2 by agreeing that the proposed Phase 2 Board be satisfied by continuing the NTI Board with a revised remit.
1.4 Fuel Cells Centre of Excellence
The DTI are to fund a national Centre of Excellence in Fuel Cell Technology, to lead R&D and knowledge transfer in this area of critical importance to the future of low-Carbon transport.
Led by Professor Rob Thring, Intelligent Energy Professor of Fuel Cell Engineering in AAE, a team assisted by Business Partnerships staff is working to secure the Centre for Loughborough, to be based at Holywell Park.
A key part of this is the growing partnership with emda, to establish an East Midlands cluster of fuel cell companies, with Intelligent Energy and Rolls Royce Fuel Cells. A precursor East Midlands Centre for Fuel Cells will be established, by re-equipping and refurbishing part of the Advantica building, and an initial grant for £530k has been received from emda to facilitate this. An additional £1.3m is being bid for over the coming weeks.
1.5 Science Park
The Leicester Shire Economic Partnership have funded the secondment of Charnwood Borough Council’s Head of Economic Development to work with the Innovation Centre. This additional resource will help develop and implement a regionally effective strategy for the Innovation Centre and help formulate plans for a Science Park in Loughborough which will have University links.
1.6 Buildings for Defence Technical UG Scheme (DTUS)
We are in advanced discussions with the MoD developing a scheme where DTUS will sponsor 50 students per year into Engineering, Maths and Physics programmes. The University is making provision for providing some dedicated office space for DTUS officers and some teaching space for the DTUS use in evenings and weekends. The proposal is to build a small free standing building near Burleigh Court. As a by-product this will provide, during normal hours, much needed postgraduate teaching space. We are negotiating an MOU which, when judged to be satisfactory by the DVC and Registrar, we will commit to signing.
2. Loughborough University Enterprises Ltd (incorporating IPO)
2.1 Consultancy
December has proved to be an excellent month for consultancy with orders of just under £174k (more than double last December’s turnover). A proportion of this is attributable to repeat business from Kelloggs (£65k), undertaken by Robin Hooper. At the moment we are predicting a small profit for consultancy, with a higher turnover than last year.
2.2 Spin Outs
A number of potential new spin out opportunities are being vetted at the moment. Hazid Technologies have secured an investment of £200,000 from a private investor. Reebok will launch the Pro Sport Benchmaster in Las Vegas in March. Laser Optical Engineering have secured some high value orders and look to increase their turnover this year quite substantially. LUEL have secured a SMART award for ANTRUM and Cool Acoustics of £60,000 each.
2.3 Licensing
Licensing income for the year 2003/04 will be around £60,000 from a number of licencees, and should increase to over £100k next year. Two new licenses (Civil Engineering and AAETS) have been signed, bringing the total number of licences to 18. Morgan Crucible have approached us with a view to renegotiating their royalty rates – this is being negotiated with the help of Peter Haslehurst.
2.4 Lachesis
Lachesis has made a total of 19 investments, 7 of which are at Loughborough. The total investments approved are £1,245,188.75, of which Loughborough has secured £361,845.00. emda have just approved a top-up of £3M to the fund.
3. Loughborough Innovation Centre Limited
The expected £825,000 of further investment has now been secured from emda to complete the second phase of development (a further 10,0002feet). Plans are now being developed to increase the hot desk facilities for pre and early stage start ups.
The forecast turnover for the second year is £272,160, although this is without the space created by the £650,000 Phase 2 refurbishments. We expect the Centre to be in profit.
The Centre remains fully occupied. The Centre was awarded ‘Best Newcomer’ at the UKBI (UK Business Incubation) Dinner in December.
The Innovation Centre roof is in need of repair and quotations are being obtained. The University are making available funds to replace the roof. In the meantime a small temporary repair is being undertaken.
4. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (TCS) and Related Activities
The KTP Centre currently runs 12 schemes, generating about £1m in turnover. The Division continues to provide support to BDO operations in SSH.
5. Collaborative Training Accounts
The BP, I & KT division co-ordinated the submission of the bid to EPSRC for the Collaborative Training Account amounting to some £6.6m from EPSRC and £3.2m from other sources over 4 years. A presentation was made to EPSRC on 24 October. The amount that we are being awarded has not yet been announced. This should fund an extension to:
·
The Engineering Doctorate Centre
·
The Research Assistants in Industry
secondment scheme
·
Masters Training Packages
·
Teaching Company Schemes.
6. HEIF
We have bid for the maximum amount of £3.25m, giving priority to the continuation of existing activities, and developing some new activity, in particular the creation of an entrepreneurship centre to develop entrepreneurship training with PhD students, masters students and eventually undergraduates. This draws on our relationship with North Carolina Sate University. Additionally MIT have joined a bid as a partner in developing the Leadership for Manufacturing (LFM) Programme.
In summary, we are seeking to continue the following:
Loughborough
Continuing Activity:
Director
of BPIKT
Marketing,
web site development
Business
Development officers (revised structure)
Knowledge
transfer activity (TCS, Graduate Gateway)
Enterprise
(IP auditing, student enterprise)
Gatsby
Fellowships
SEIC
Collaborative
Continuing Activity:
Lachesis
HEROBC Innovation & Regional Fellowships (HIRF)
EMIN (East Midlands Incubation Network)
EMSEN (Science Enterprise – entrepreneurship)
Loughborough New Activity:
Entrepreneurship Centre, Business School
MIT Internship Scheme
Spin Out Manager
Alumni mentoring network
Additional IP auditors
Collaborative New Activity:
Medici Fellowships