Innovating Academic Enterprise

Innovation Centre at the Coleraine campus, University of Ulster

Driving Entrepreneurship is a key activity for the University of Ulster (UU).

Through its tailored courses, research and knowledge and technology exchange programmes, the University of Ulster is a major influencer and it realises that entrepreneurship helps create a healthy and vibrant economy.

Education and knowledge and technology exchange are strongly advancing a culture of entrepreneurship at the University of Ulster.

A Common Ethos

Dr Mark Durkin, Head of School of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the university, explains that the school's programmes are entrepreneurial in design, content and delivery. Explains Dr Durkin, "the school is unique in the UK and Ireland. We have absolute determination to improve levels of competence in marketing and innovation in ways that are explicitly underpinned by entrepreneurship." The school offers added-value to students through input from its business advisory forum, comprising local entrepreneurs and senior managers, and delivers business-friendly programmes in three day block sessions instead of weekly classes.

Sharing A Passion

In September 2006, the school will launch an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Says Dr Durkin, "in part the programme is aimed at owner/managers but it is relevant to anyone in any organisation who sees themselves as a change agent, who wants to challenge the status quo." The programme will be delivered jointly with Babson College, USA, which is recognised as a world leader in management development. The programme has been designed to provide participants with a creative learning experience, to develop their organisations and realise their personal potential. It includes a study week in the USA.

Real World Interaction

The Office of Innovation and Enterprise (OIE) at the University of Ulster includes the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) office and Regional Services. Eddie Friel, Manager of Regional Services, explains how the OIE is a gateway for business, industry and community sectors to access university expertise and resources.

"OIE assists staff in engaging with these sectors to promote regional wealth creation. This occurs through spin-out companies in our purpose-built incubator centres and Science Park facilities, and through our knowledge transfer schemes (KTP and FUSION) that partner existing businesses with high quality graduates to achieve increased profit," outlines Friel.

One company, Keystone Lintels, partnered with the faculties of Engineering and Business and Management to develop and market a new product range of roof windows. Together they then set up the manufacturing processes and plant needed to bring this product to market, the first company in Britain or Ireland to do so. "In its first year alone, sales grew from zero to £2.5 million, and the company opened three new factories with another one under construction."
Adds Friel, "people are also influenced by external factors and Invest Northern Ireland's Accelerating Entrepreneurship strategy, for example, helps what we're doing through our own entrepreneurial initiatives."

Knowledge Exchange Process

In existence since 1998 UUTech is the university's wholly-owned technology transfer company, created to manage the evaluation and exploitation of the university's intellectual property.

Economic Impact

UU Tech's most recent success story is spin-out company Diabetica, a speciality biotechnology company focussed on the development of anti-diabetic therapeutic products. Diabetica recently signed a worldwide licensing agreement potentially worth $40 million with Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc, California, for its groundbreaking diabetes therapy.

John Mulcahy, CEO, points to UUTech's investment portfolio of sixteen companies. It has also been involved in a series of initiatives to commercialise research so if a scientist believes they have something novel to disclose, UUTech will assist them with processes through to licencing and/or spin-out.

Concludes Mulcahy, "our primary objective is to find markets for the knowledge-base of the University of Ulster in Ireland and further afield."