University as an Engine of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Petteri SinervoDevelopment Manager

BID Business and Innovation DevelopmentUniversity of Turku

Warsaw May 12, 2011

OTSIKKOTekstiä

Facts about University of Turku

• Academic heritage since 1640, the current University of Turku was founded in1922

• Multi-disciplinary– Six faculties and Turku School of Economics, 13 special

units, six national centres of excellence– 21 000 students: 16 000 Degree Students, 2 500 Post-

graduate Students & 2 500 Visiting Students – 3 500 employees

• Over 3 000 scientific publications annually, 77% of which in international publications

• Ranked 221. university in the whole world (THES – QS World University Rankings)

Developments in University Operations

• Traditional tasks: research and education

• Third task: societal interaction and influence– More activities outwards– Being change agent– Demand for regional, national and European

development – Demand to utilise the research outcome better

• Phases:1. Ivory tower

2. Technology transfer

3. Knowledge exchange

3rd Generation UniversitiesSCIENTIFIC

EXCELLENCE

ENTREPRENEURIAL AND INNOVATIVE EXCELLENCE

2ND GENERATIONUNIVERSITY AS SCIENCE

2ND GENERATIONUNIVERSITY AS SCIENCE

1ST GENERATIONUNIVERSITY AS

INTELLECTUAL CENTER

1ST GENERATIONUNIVERSITY AS

INTELLECTUAL CENTER

3RD GENERATIONUNIVERSITY AS GENERATOR OF

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

3RD GENERATIONUNIVERSITY AS GENERATOR OF

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

• entrepreneurship and innovation (applying science, relevance) as strategic objectives• university/society interaction • university as global network of excellence• open innovation• pro-active regional linkages• engine of early-stage innovation

Source: Antti Paasio 2010

ENTREPRENEURIAL AND INNOVATION

EXCELLENCE

Supporting innovations in the University of Turku

• In Turku and elsewhere– Services for research funding, project management and

technology transfer• Essential but nor enough

– Innovation development: patent orientation– Linear thinking

• BID Business and Innovation Development Centre (2010)– To improve the interaction of research in science and

business research in order to create a strong open innovation platform

– Outreaching to partners outside the university but keeping the academic character in the operations

BID is basedon the modern

OPEN INNOVATION

conceptwhere

innovations are often

created in networks and

where business and market forces

are as important drivers as technology

BID is foundedon the

utilisation of MEDICIEFFECT

where innovation is

best supported by bringing

together different

academic fields and also other actors in

business environment

BID is a Change AgentBID is a Change Agent

• Awareness and understanding of the relevance of entrepreneurship and innovations across the university

• Higher quality and quantity of knowledge-intensive innovations

• More effective usage of science in business• Improved/wider professional relevance of academic

degrees• To build a strong link between world class innovative

research and creation of high-growth knowledge-based businesses (Lisbon agenda)

• To increase the quality and quantity of new business deal flow in the region and to accelerate growth

• To improve the link between innovative research and venture financing organisations

BID operational model

- Linking

Business competence and innovation development

ICT excellence

Research and knowledge of academic disciplines

Better Better utilization of utilization of academic academic knowledge knowledge and and research research outcomesoutcomes

Operating in:- Research: academic and applied- Education: Basic, post-graduate, additional- Business development- Awareness

BID activities

• Awareness program and road show• Targeted Entrepreneurship & Innovation education

– Basic degrees, Master Programs, Post-Graduates

• Applied research: cross-disciplinary from the very beginning

• PhD+MBA: Turku Campus, international partners, EIT ICT Labs

• Business Development Laboratory• Growth Laboratory (under construction together with

Turku Science Park)

BID activities cont.

• European Entrepreneurship Educators Programme (3EP)

• From Science to Business –project– Activation, guidance and funding for science-based business

ideas

• Innovation Boot Camps• Initiating and encouraging student movements:

BOOST initiative (www.boostturku.com)

Challenges

• Keeping it open !• Attitude and mindset• Creating entrepreneurial teams• Moving away from patent emphasis• Gap of knowledge by academics & industrialists

about each other’s organisational cultures• Academic ranking and reward systems do not

support university-industry cooperation or entrepreneurial development within universities

• Disruptive technologies and difficulties to identify the high-flyers !!!

Thank you for your attention !