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.
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
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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. |
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