Division of Business Partnerships, Innovation and
Knowledge Transfer
1.1 Fuel Cells
The
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt, confirmed on
December 14th that
Loughborough would be the site of the National Fuel Cells Centre of
Excellence. The launch phase is well
underway. Details of the DTI/Industry funding package are expected shortly.
1.2 Rolls Royce
Fuel Cell Systems
Agreements
concluded with emda shortly before
Christmas have resulted in £950k funding to relocate the CREST PV Facility, and
refurbish part of the space for which Rolls Royce Fuel Cell Systems have taken
out a tenancy to carry out their R&D, Negotiations are ongoing to win a
further tranche of funding to complete the refurbishment.
1.3
emda
emda have indicated that they require a Business Plan for
Holywell Park before they consider any further funding applications from LU.
Technopolis, a firm of technology transfer consultants who worked with us in
developing the SEIC, will be undertaking the task, and linking it to the
Estates Strategy Development Review and the submission to the Charnwood Borough
Development Plan.
DBPIKT
hosted a visit to the University on February 10th by the new Chairman of emda Dr. Bryan Jackson, formerly of the Toyota Motor Company. Dr
Jackson was shown the Innovation Centre, the SEIC and several research centres
on campus, including Sports Technology.
1.4.
SEIC
Agreements
lasting 6 months to allow two DSTL secondments to BAE SYSTEMS and thence to
SEIC were concluded, and personnel are now in post. This allows SEIC to negotiate a longer term involvement in SEIC.
Phase 2 has completed on time and in
budget. Two of the large new units have
been taken, and there is strong interest in the remainder. It is expected that the centre will achieve
full occupancy within about 6 months. Laser Optical Engineering have reduced
their debt considerably and an agreement is in place to clear their debt. The Hot Desk facility, which has been sponsored
by a number of local firms and the development Fund, is open for business and
has its first tenant.
3 Intellectual Property
All
targets for the HEROBC and HEIF funded initiatives continue to be met and
exceeded by activities across the Division.
Proposals for the implementation of HEIF 2 funds have been approved by
Operations Sub Committee. EMG have
reviewed the HEIF targets and made some revisions, which have been approved by
HEFCE. Informal consultations have
begun for HEIF 3, and OST have visited Loughborough to canvass views.
Derek
Mapp has accepted the position of chair of the IP Advisory Board, which will
bring invaluable experience and contacts to the operation.
A
licensee for the polymer guitar has been found and detailed contractual
negotiations are underway.
NESTA
(National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) are funding a review
of our licensing strategy and portfolio by a board member of the Licensing
Executives Society.
The
HEIF funded ‘Spin Out Officer’ has been recruited and is set to commence duties
in March. Derek Mapp will be
undertaking a review of the portfolio, and wishes to meet each company in turn,
with a view to assisting the location of commercial non exec directors.
After
a recent meeting of the IP Board, it was agreed that ‘non performing’ spin out
companies should be removed from the
portfolio. SP Informatics and UKIST
have therefore been removed as spin out companies. Dexterity Research is in a period of non trading after which we
can apply to have it struck off the register.
Most
of the spin outs are performing well and have all secured investment, in
particular Dialog Devices (investment: NESTA £75K, Lachesis £75K), Sports
Dynamics (investment: Lachesis £250K), and Hazid (investment £100K), and
Micropore and Progressive Sports have secured substantial orders.
Consultancy
quotes for the half year total £922,685.
Just over a quarter of these have converted to firm projects, but a
couple of very large projects (£150,000+) are in negotiation and look likely to
conclude shortly. The team are
confident that turnover will be higher than last year, as the order pipeline
looks healthy.
6 Knowledge & Technology Transfer
Centre
There
are 12 KTPs with a total value of £1,276,087. We have just had the 1st
KTP with JCB Services approved with the implicit understanding that a further
11 are likely to be approved over the next four years. The KT Office is currently working on 10 KTP
prospects. Graduate Gateway currently
has 14 graduates on placements with
companies. Collaborative Training Accounts has 6 MTPs, 8 Case Ind/Acad, 6 RAIS, 25 EngD.