Senate
Business Partnerships, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer
1.
Strategic Partnerships
1.1
DTI Centre of Excellence in Fuel Cells and Low
Carbon Technology
A company, CENEX, has been set up, as a joint
venture. The company members are SMMT,
Ricardo, Mira, Caterpillar, Conekt TWR, Air Products, John Matthey, Millbrook,
UKPIA and University spin-out Intelligent Energy. CENEX has formally accepted
the DTI offer letter of £6.5m for five years for the Centre of Excellence, and
it is also proposed that CENEX will run a Knowledge Transfer Network in the
area of low carbon and fuel cell technology.
Discussions are ongoing between LU and emda to fund the refurbishment of the rolling roads and engine test
cells, adjacent to the Centre, to provide the facilities to conduct work with
the Centre. Now that CENEX is
established dialogue between CENEX and LU will take place. Currently all dialogue is with the DTI
appointed Launch Director.
1.2 Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems
RRFCS held a launch event on 30th June, with the
Duke of York opening the facility. The next phase of work will be to
consolidate the research linkages with RRFCS under the terms of the established framework agreement. A first meeting of the LU-RRFC research
co-ordinating committee has taken place.
1.3 Rolls-Royce UTC
SRIF support to part-fund a
Combustion Aerodynamics Laboratory in Holywell has been approved. Further investigation is underway to firm up
the project timetable and costs, before negotiation with emda
and Rolls-Royce indentifies which parts of the project they will support.
1.4 emda
emda have seconded a person to work
part-time on developing an agreement with LU over development of the R&D
core of the proposed
1.5 SEIC
The first DSTL secondments to the SEIC ended in
July. The relationship has been
productive and the proposal is to extend this relationship status in
November. An agreement between LU and
DSTL is currently under discussion.
As previously reported:
·
The application by our Electrical Engineering Department for an
Engineering Doctorate Centre in Systems Engineering was successful and the
centre will commence in 2006.
·
The EPSRC/BAe Joint Research Fund being led by our Professor John
Andrews has been awarded, valued at £6M.
·
Recruitment of the two funded Chairs is being undertaken by the Dean and
the posts have been advertised.
The University has been involved in negotiations
with emda to refocus the performance
metrics associated with SEIC. These cover chiefly impact on regional companies.
The SEIC offering to these businesses has now been branded as the SEIC Business
Support Hub, with emda endorsement. The SEIC has been involved in a successful bid
to the DTI Technology Programme, in the area of metrology for microsystems
(CEMMNT). emda have committed a further £200k to developing the regional
impact of this activity.
2 Loughborough Innovation Centre
Only two units created under Phase 2 remain unoccupied. The Hot Desk facility, which has been
sponsored by a number of local firms and the Development Fund, filled within a
couple of months, and one of the new units has now been set aside to meet the
demand for hot desks. A number of improvements
to the building have been budgeted for, including improved security provision,
upgrades to the heating system and improvements to the toilets. The Centre returned its first profit to the University at the year end.
3 Intellectual Property, Spin Out
Companies & Licensing
Derek Mapp has made a
significant impact as chair of the IP Advisory Board, bringing invaluable
experience and contacts to the operation.
A new strategy for IP and consultancy is being proposed, and it is
currently going through an informal consultation process.
A number of substantial
licences are being negotiated presently (4 from Wolfson and 3 from the Science and SSH
Faculties). Morgan Crucible, our most
important licence holder, have recently been invoiced for £100,000.
NESTA have funded a
review of our licensing strategy and portfolio by a board member of the
Licensing Executives Society. Some
training of the IP team has taken place and the licensing activity is very
buoyant at the moment.
The HEIF funded
‘Spin Out Officer’ has been in post for 4 months and together with
Derek Mapp has undertaken a review of our spinout portfolio. They have met each company in turn, with a
view to assisting the location of commercial non exec directors on the board of
each company and to assist in the pursuit of future funding.
Sports Dynamics have
secured an excellent chairman, and are in discussion with various football club
chairmen regarding potential investments.
Dialog Devices, Varidose and Phase Vision are currently embarking on
funding rounds to secure investment for growth.
There are 2-3 potential new spin outs in the pipeline.
Lachesis is now at £7.8M in size and has
invested or committed over £2M, with Loughborough securing the most projects so
far of all the university parties.
4 Consultancy
Consultancy
business for the first 6 weeks of the year total £38,401, compared with £30,686
for the previous year. A number of potential large projects are in
discussion, and we are optimistic about the coming year. The end of year results show that we have an
increase in turnover, with a profit to be covenanted back to the
University. Of the income, £521,410 was
transferred to departments.
5 Knowledge & Technology Transfer
Centre.
There are
14 KTPs with a total value of £1,371,461. The KT Office is currently working on
8 KTP prospects, from 18 strong enquiries.
Graduate Gateway has had 251 applications over the 04-05 year,
interviewed 71 graduates, contacted 93 companies, visited 47 and placed 20
graduates with companies.