Choosing to Lead: The Race for National R&D Leadership and New Economy Jobs

R&D Breakfast e-Newsletter June 2005

R&D Breakfast Briefing on Research Centers: Investment in research centers will spark economic growth in Massachusetts
The role of research centers in triggering economic growth in Massachusetts was the topic of a discussion between industry and university leaders on May 19, 2005 at Mass Insight Corporation's sixth in its series of R&D Breakfast Briefings.  >LEAD STORY read more

Panelists highlight mutual benefits of research centers to universities and businesses
Panelists discussed the many ways that investment in research centers serves both the academic and business communities.  >read more

R&D Breakfast Briefing Series continues in June.
The Alternative Energy Agenda: How Viable an Alternative This Time Around? hosted by TIAX, Tuesday, June 28, 2005. Click here or contact SciTech@massinsight.com for more information.

Presentations from the Research Centers R&D Breakfast Briefing at Goodwin Procter
>links to presentations and handouts

LEAD STORY

R.J. Lyman, partner, Goodwin Procter, LLP, which hosted and sponsored the event with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's John Adams Innovation Institute, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Partners HealthCare, and Raytheon, opened an engaging session that focused on the role of research centers as an engine for economic growth in Massachusetts.

Mitchell Adams, executive director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, set the tone for the morning's discussion by introducing the notion that the "Massachusetts economy is dependent on innovation and the key to success will be how we translate innovation into know-how." Adams drew attention to the idea that research centers can be a catalyst for moving ideas from R&D to the marketplace, pointing to MTC's recent success when funding from its John Adams Innovation Fund leveraged additional resources for a new advanced manufacturing center. In this instance, the MTC's initial $5 million investment in the Northeastern/UMass/UNH Nanomanufacturing Center triggered a subsequent investment of $12 million from the National Science Foundation.

Speaking next was J. David Roessner, Ph.D., associate director of the Science and Technology Policy Program at SRI International, and professor of public policy, emeritus, at Georgia Institute of Technology. Professor Roessner discussed the many benefits that can accrue to both states and their business communities by researchers and scientists joining an engineering research center (ERC). He cited access to new ideas and technologies, as well as opportunities to work with students who represent a pool of talented, experienced potential employees for new ventures. Roessner estimated the total economic impact of the center with which he is affiliated, the Georgia Tech Packaging Research Center, to be $300 million for the state of Georgia. He stressed that "the economic benefits of these investments are substantial, they're varied and they're long term."

PANEL HIGHLIGHTS

Moderator, Robert Kispert, program director at MTC for federal and university programs, led a four-person panel discussion about organizing a research center.

Michael Silevitch, Ph.D. is the Robert D. Black professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University and director of the Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (CenSSIS), a National Science Foundation-funded engineering research center. Dr. Silevitch stressed that a research center must have a clear mission and focus on development as well as research. The ERC model, according to Silevitch, presents an opportunity for universities to be pushed into collaborations with other universities, to "break down the walls of isolation" that have developed within the culture of academia.

Julie Chen, Ph.D. is director of the Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she is a professor of Mechanical Engineering and co-director of the Advanced Composite Materials and Textile Research Laboratory. Dr. Chen also spoke to the benefits of collaboration between universities. Citing her experience at the UMass Lowell Nanomanufacturing Center, she said the collaboration between universities led to "the opportunity to attack the interfaces of the disciplines" and thereby advance and ultimately to "push things downstream more towards commercialization."

George Kachen, Ph.D. is vice president, business development, Triton Systems Inc. He discussed involvement with ERCs from a business perspective. Dr. Kachen stressed that for a small business, the access to ideas and students provided by an ERC is unmatched. He also discussed the valuable opportunities an ERC provides to business executives for networking and partnering with a consortium of like-minded thinkers.

Kenan Sahin, Ph.D. is founder and president of TIAX, LLC, a technology, product development and technology-based consulting firm formed from the technology and innovation group of the former Arthur D. Little, Inc. Dr. Sahin has participated on both the academic and business side of R&D. Dr. Sahin spoke openly about the differences between academia and business, saying that their values and objectives are fundamentally different. In determining the future of ERCs in Massachusetts, Sahin stated that the Commonwealth must ask, "What kind of workforce does Massachusets want to have?" and then allow the answer to guide its centers. "The key to Massachusetts' success," Sahin said, "is innovation implementation at early stages." He stressed that the ideas are here, but that Massachusetts must capture them and keep the downstream benefits here as well.

Presentations from the R&D Breakfast Briefing:

J. David Roessner, Ph.D., How Do Companies--and Regions--Benefit from Industry-University Research Centers? [PPT 750k]

Georgia Research Alliance - First ERC impact study, 1997

Summary report of second ERC study plus comparative analysis

John Adams Innovation Institute announces new financial support for research center development

At the May 19th Mass Insight R&D Breakfast Briefing, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and its John Adams Innovation Institute announced a new round of competitive development grants to support the establishment and expansion of research partnerships across the Commonwealth.

The aim of this grant program is to provide Massachusetts universities and not-for-profit research centers affiliated with universities financial support up to $150,000 in order to pursue new research strategies, supported by university and industry partnerships, with compelling market and growth opportunities.

"Our investment in research centers is critical to the economic success of the Commonwealth," said Mitch Adams, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. "The exchange of information - and collaboration - between industry, policymakers and academia is crucial. By investing in research centers, we are investing in the basic infrastructure of the innovation economy, paving the way for new avenues to bring research to the marketplace and improve the ability of Massachusetts to compete."

For more information about the grants, please contact Robert Kispert at kispert@masstech.org.

For more information about the John Adams Innovation Institute, go to www.masstech.org.

US Leads World in Nanotech -- For Now

An article from the May 30, 2005 issue of the State Science and Technology Institute Weekly Digest warns that while the US may currently be the global leader in nanotechnology R&D, the competition from other nations is growing fierce.

U.S. Leads World in Nanotech - For Now

Watch your mailbox for information about our upcoming R&D Breakfast Briefings

The Alternative Energy Agenda: How Viable an Alternative This Time Around?

Hosted by TIAX

Tuesday, June 28, 2005.

Click here or contact SciTech@massinsight.com for more information.

R&D Breakfast Briefing and R&D Strategic Alliances Sponsors:

About the Initiative

The Science & Technology Initiative’s mission is to create a state policy to facilitate and support major science and technology education and research initiatives that improve Massachusetts’ competitive position and enhance its economic strength. For more information on the Initiative, click here.

J. David Roessner, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Science and Technology Policy Program, SRI International

©2005 Mass Insight Corporation, 18 Tremont Street, Suite 930, Boston, MA 02108. Mass Insight Corporation organizes leadership groups and facilitates public-private initiatives to improve state performance on issues that have a significant economic impact on Massachusetts. To be added to or removed from this distribution list, please send an email to scitech@massinsight.com.