1. What Our Local Universities Can
Do For You
Sean Smith
Manager, Technology Transfer
Bath Ventures
(University of Bath)

2. What Our Local Universities Can Do
For You
 Understanding What Universities Do (Well)
 Understanding What You Need
 Speaking a Common Language
 Mutual Understanding
 Agreeing Who, What, When, Where and WHY!
 The “Products” of Universities
 Where to Start?

3. What Universities Do (Well)
Obvious: Less Obvious:
Research Project Management
Development R&D Team Management
Analysis Competitive Analysis
Problem Solving IP Assessments
“Blue Sky” Thinking Network Hubs
Teaching Proposition Development
Professional Development

4. What Do You Need?
 What is the outcome you are seeking?
 What is the output desired?
 When do you need what?
 What is your budget now and in the near-
term?
 Is some form of ongoing support required?
 Is this exclusive, competitive, sensitive?

5. Speaking a Common Language
 Impact
 Technology Transfer
 Consultancy
 Spin-Outs, Spin-Ins, etc…
 Collaboration
 Knowledge Transfer….
 Partnerships
 Fellows
 Accounts
 Associates
 ….???

6. Mutual Understanding
• Understand Your Academic
 Key drivers? Other commitments?
• Communicate Your Requirements!
 ….and check for understanding and agreement!
• Agreeing Who, What, When, Where and WHY!
 Project Plans, Heads of Terms, Terms of Reference, etc…
 Form of the agreement?
 Binding, non-binding?
 Formal, informal?
 Who owns what (and why)?
 What are they going to do with it…?
• Do Not Make it Complicated
 and fight the tendency for it to become so!

7. The “Products”
Type Sub-Type Features Costs & Benefit & Time Business
Support to “Impact” Influence
(illustrative)
Studentships Undergraduate Basic In-Kind (£50k) Relatively Low Low / Medium
Scholarships investigation of and Cash (£10K) Cost, access to
Secondments a problem, knowledge
benefitting base, limited
from specialist risks
knowledge,
equipment, etc 2 to 3 Years+
Graduates Advanced Top Ups – New IP, New Low / Medium
Fully knowledge- Approximately Knowledge,
Sponsored based projects £25K to £80K, access to
Partially breaking new Materials, Etc. knowledge
Sponsored ground base,
Eng D 2 to 3 Years+
Post Docs Advanced Top Ups – New IP, New Medium /
knowledge- Approximately Knowledge, Higher
based projects £25K to £80K, access to
breaking new Materials, Etc. knowledge
ground base,
1 to 2 Years+

8. The “Products”
Type Sub-Type Features Costs & Benefit & Time Business
Support to “Impact” Influence
(illustrative)
Research KTP Specialist Specified High
Collaborations Knowledge Deliverables,
with tightly Partially-funded Tight Control
controlled plan project work:
and clear SMEs vs n- 3+ Months > 3
deliverables SMEs Years
Research Advanced In-Kind & cash New IP, New Higher / High
Collaborations knowledge- investments Knowledge,
based projects from access to
breaking new approximately knowledge
ground £10K base,
1 to 3 Years+
Sponsored Business- Depends upon New IP, New Complete
Research / defined and requirements & Knowledge,
Consultancy lead project timing access to
knowledge
base,
Months / Years

9. The “Products”
Type Sub- Features Costs & Benefit & Business
Type Support Time to Influence
(illustrative) “Impact”
Commercialisation Licence Protected IP TBD Specified High
Based Upon Deliverables,
Novel Tight Control
Research
Spin- Investment in TBD High
Outs University
Originated
Companies

10. The “Products”
Type Sub-Type Features Costs & Benefit & Time Business
Support to “Impact” Influence
(illustrative)
Networks Various Typically TBD Expand High
theme-based, networks,
seeking like identify
minded opportunities,
partners, collaborate,
focused on build
further funding relationships
Incubation Spin-Ins Dynamic, tech- TBD Support, High
oriented collaboration,
environments, funding
support, opportunities,
engagement investment
with readiness
Universities,
etc

11. The “Products”
• Do you understand the timing?
• Do you nderstand the objectives?
• Do these issues align?
• How much is matched?
• And what about fEC?!?
• How much influence do you have?

12. Where to Start?
• Unfortunately, it is often down to who you speak
with rather than what you are speaking about!
• Picking up the phone is a good place to start.
• Attending some relevant networking events is a
better place to start.
• Contacting university partnerships & related
organisations may be the best place to start
 BEN
 SETsquared
 KTNs
 Etc…

13. Thank You
Sean Smith
Bath Ventures
s.m.smith@bath.ac.uk
+44 7525 476 458