“Open Innovation 2.0 – the paradigm for innovation partnership”
The Maynooth University Commercialisation Office held its annual networking event at Carton House Hotel on April 7th. The key message of how businesses can benefit from linking with higher education and research institutes was emphasised by keynote speakers Prof. Martin Curley (head of Intel Labs Europe) and Dr. Alison Campbell OBE (Head of the cTTO – the Central Technology Transfer Office).
Prof. Curley emphasised how Open Innovation 2.0, the merging ecosystem model of open collaboration driven by partnerships across Industry, Government, Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and Individuals has become a real driver of innovation and the global economy. He outlined how Intel research collaborations such as those with Maynooth University (for example, the globally successful Innovation Value Institute) and city planning development such as in Dublin and London are driving innovations for the benefit of society. Prof. Curley also highlighted the recent $5 billion investment in Intel at Leixlip, which represents the largest private company investment in the history of the State. He stressed how this represents the embedding of Intel high end manufacturing and research and development in Ireland, and the importance of the developing Irish innovation ecosystem in winning and sustaining such investments.
Dr. Campbell outlined how the Technology Transfer system has involved in Ireland over the last 10 years and how the newly established cTTO will embed technology transfer as a partnership across Government, HEIs and industry, to drive research commercialisation in public institutes for the benefit of society, private industry and the economy. Dr. Campbell emphasised how well Ireland performs in this arena and how the funding support can lead to huge opportunities for businesses to innovate in partnership with HEIs. Funding opportunities for such innovation partnership are now supported by Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, the European Commission and the Irish Research Council. Partnership with HEIs opens this huge innovation funding opportunity to business and industry.