̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - consultancy

Bridging research and industry

lw355 — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:25:24 +0000

As well as helping Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� academics enter into commercialisation arrangements for their discoveries, Cambridge Enterprise also provides a managed service to help them apply their knowledge to real-life situations by undertaking consultancy work.

Dr Paul Seabright heads the Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Technical Services Limited (CUTS) at Cambridge Enterprise, which now manages 200 consultancy projects per annum in subject areas that range from engineering to economics, physics to philosophy and computer sciences to clinical medicine.

‘In consultancy, as opposed to collaborative research,’ he explains, ‘academics apply their personal expertise to help a client organisation solve problems that are specific to the client’s business. It’s one of the principal mechanisms by which knowledge that has practical applications can be disseminated to the public and private sector, and the ̽��ֱ�� can make its earliest direct impact on society.’

̽��ֱ��number of consultancy projects undertaken through Cambridge Enterprise continues to grow rapidly; in fact, a third of projects handled over the past year were from first-time consultants. ̽��ֱ��type of projects vary widely between expert witness appearances and tendered public contracts, while the broad scope of projects reflects the wide range of ̽��ֱ�� research that is in demand by both industry and government.

Expert knowledge

Consultancy can involve a problem-solving activity that has tangible results. Dr Minna Sunikka-Blank of the Department of Architecture, for instance, conducted a social and technical performance monitoring analysis for PRP Architects Ltd, aiming to discover how and why tenants alter their energy-use habits. ̽��ֱ��information contributed to ‘Retrofit for the Future’, an initiative of the Technology Strategy Board which aims to retrofit the existing housing to meet future emissions targets. Also from the Department of Architecture, Michael Ramage designed and supervised the installation of a brick and mortar dome structure for ‘ ̽��ֱ��Bowls Project’, part of the annual New Frequencies Music Festival presented by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco.

In many cases, consultancy takes the form of the delivery of expert opinion. Professor David Newbery of the Faculty of Economics wrote an analysis of policy options for the funding of a Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration plant in the UK. And Professor David Farrington, from the Institute of Criminology, completed a feasibility study for the National Policing Improvement Agency on the impact of closed-circuit television upon criminal justice outcomes.

CUTS

̽��ֱ��managed service provided by CUTS helps academics to concentrate on the project and the relationship with the client without any distraction about contractual matters or the management of the administrative issues associated with the project. Meanwhile, client organisations are able to commission work from individual staff who have cutting-edge expertise, under contract with a professionally managed limited liability company backed by the ̽��ֱ�� and utilising the ̽��ֱ��’s insurance cover. ‘ ̽��ֱ��contractual terms ensure that both the client and the member of staff gain mutual benefit from the relationship,’ explains Dr Seabright, ‘and the ̽��ֱ�� frequently benefits from the longer term substantial relationships, including research collaborations that develop from consultancy activity.’

For more information, please contact Dr Paul Seabright (cuts@enterprise.cam.ac.uk) at Cambridge Enterprise Limited (www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk/).

Consultancy is an effective way for academics to share their knowledge and expertise, bridging the gap between research and industry.

Consultancy is one of the principal mechanisms by which knowledge that has practical applications can be disseminated to the public and private sector, and the ̽��ֱ�� can make its earliest direct impact on society.

Dr Paul Seabright

Rien van Ruthoven

Brick and mortar dome

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What is knowledge transfer?

ns480 — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:34:22 +0000

It’s all about the transfer of tangible and intellectual property, expertise, learning and skills between academia and the non-academic community. It’s also well recognised by government and funders as an important return on the UK’s investment in academic research, one that provides a significant driving force for enhancing economic growth and societal wellbeing. For academics, KT can be a way of gaining new perspectives on possible directions and approaches for research. This two-way exchange element of KT is at the heart of successful and sustainable collaboration.

Academics are often asked to consider the potential audiences, impact and applications for their work, and increasingly there are opportunities to apply for grants specifically with non-academic collaborative partners. In response, Research Councils UK (RCUK) has recently launched the RCUK Knowledge Exchange and Impact as a single point of access for those interested in KT schemes and activities.

Making the most of research

Discussion around KT often focuses on the formation of spin-out business, or the licensing of intellectual property (IP), based on the outputs of university science and technology-related research. Although these are vitally important areas, KT actually encompasses a much broader range of activities and is not limited to the science and technology disciplines. In terms of activities, KT can be split into six types:

People: When students graduate and join the workforce, they bring with them new knowledge and are effectively helping to ‘regenerate the gene pool’ of industry. ̽��ֱ��temporary placement of students and graduates in companies or in the public or voluntary sectors can be a more directed way of exchanging knowledge on a shorter term basis. One of the longest standing schemes is Knowledge Transfer Partnerships funded by the Technology Strategy Board and supported by most UK Research Councils.

Publication and events: Knowledge is transferred through publication of research outputs, and through events and networking. In Cambridge, events can vary from Horizon Seminars (which provide a first look at new findings and developments at the ̽��ֱ�� and are organised by Research Services Division) to the Corporate Gateway (offering a bespoke programme of customised meetings with leading ̽��ֱ�� researchers and new technology companies in Cambridge).

Collaborative research: This is a powerful means of creating opportunities for innovative knowledge exchange. In Cambridge, examples include the Cambridge Integrated Knowledge Centre (CIKC), which brings together ̽��ֱ�� research, industry secondments, business acumen and manufacturing expertise to help those with exploitable concepts to achieve commercial success in photonics and electronics; and the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), which creates new ideas and approaches to modern industrial practice – from understanding markets and technologies, through product and process design, to operations, distribution and related services. As a whole, the ̽��ֱ�� typically engages in 650 research agreements, worth £22 million, with industry annually.

Consultancy: ̽��ֱ��provision of domain-specific expert advice and training to external clients by university staff can be a very effective KT mechanism – it can provide a platform for the exchange of both explicit and more tacit knowledge, and a window on areas of possible collaboration. Support for consultancy is one service offered by Cambridge Enterprise Ltd. ̽��ֱ��IfM also disseminates its research outputs through consultancy services provided by the ̽��ֱ��-owned company IfM Education and Consultancy Services Ltd. Together, Cambridge Enterprise and IfM provide consultancy support to more than 200 companies annually.

Licensing: Licensing the right to use specific research outputs (IP such as patentable ideas) is an important KT mechanism. Information on IP that is available for licensing is accessible through various websites, but successful licensing arrangements are long-term relationships often leading to research collaborations and individual contacts. Licensing is a key area of activity for Cambridge Enterprise, with about 50 new commercial agreements closed annually and a portfolio of over 450 active licence agreements.

New businesses: Bringing research outputs to market through the formation of a new business can be particularly appropriate when the application represents a ‘disruption’ to the current market or sector, or where there isn’t any obvious external partner to whom the idea could be licensed. New businesses based on research outputs often build their business models around collaboration with larger, established firms to access expertise, equipment and routes to market. Cambridge has a well-developed ecosystem for supporting this, including student business-plan programmes, area angel networks and access to capital through Cambridge Enterprise Seed Funds (see: ie.cam.ac.uk).

KT is a contact sport

Three key factors seem to underpin successful KT. First, it’s not a ‘zero cost’ activity; it takes effort and time to make it work. Second, it is a ‘contact sport’; it works best when people meet to exchange ideas, sometimes serendipitously, and spot new opportunities. Third, it needs practical, timely and active support at an institutional level – within companies and universities – encouraging a culture of open access and open innovation.

Knowledge transfer (KT) is a term used to encompass a very broad range of activities to support mutually beneficial collaborations between universities, businesses and the public sector.

KT is a ‘contact sport’; it works best when people meet to exchange ideas, sometimes serendipitiously, and spot new opportunities.

Tim Minshall

ExerciseEngineering from Flickr

Happy young business woman shaking hands with another female

Examples of support for KT in Cambridge

Student recruitment and student projects

Direct recruitment of Cambridge graduates: www.careers.cam.ac.uk
Hosting of student or graduate projects: www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/working/studentprojects
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: www.research-operations.admin.cam.ac.uk/major-funders/knowledge-transfer...

Public availability of research results, events and networking

Direct access to research outputs: www.cam.ac.uk/research
Events and networking: www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/events; www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/corporategateway

Collaborative research

Setup of collaborative research projects: www.research-operations.admin.cam.ac.uk

Licensing of research outputs

Working with ̽��ֱ�� inventors to license patentable ideas to new and existing companies: https://www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk/for-external-organisations/available-technologies/

Formation of new businesses

Support to assist with new business formation: www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk; ie.cam.ac.uk

For more information, please contact the author Dr Tim Minshall (thwm100@eng. cam.ac.uk) at the Centre for Technology Management in the IfM. Dr Minshall has extensive experience of supporting industry–academic collaboration, technology transfer and open innovation.

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