Sussex IP Newsletter #4 - 23 December 2004 Welcome to the second newsletter from Sussex IP. Sussex IP is a University of Sussex owned business dedicated to the development, commercialisation and licensing of intellectual property. You can also view this Newsletter online - please visit our website at http://www.sussexip.com and click on 'Newsletter'. SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DELEGATIONS COME TO LEARN FROM SUSSEX ___________________________________________________ - Sussex Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer is World Class Sussex has a powerful combination of teams working on entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and regional development (see box below). Their reputation goes before them and they are generating and expanding their profile to such a degree that countries all round the world are sending senior delegations to learn how we do it here at Sussex. In the last few weeks, the University has hosted four separate visiting groups from China as well as from Singapore. The Ningbo Science Park near Shanghai is an impressive set of buildings, at least 10 times bigger than the Innovation Centre here on the Sussex campus. But the Ningbo management and government officials feel that they have much to learn about the people side of their business – exactly where Sussex scores so highly. Sessions were delivered on incubation by Mike Herd, Executive Director of the Innovation Centre, and commercialisation and technology transfer by Mark Clark and Mike Shaw of Sussex IP. Among the points made in these sessions were: “There should be no standard packages of incubation services or support because every company needs something different,” Mike Herd continued, “The same company will also need something different at different stages of its development”. In answer to the question from the delegation, “What is the rule for…?”, Mark answered, that while sometimes rules are important,“the basic message is that there are no rules! You have to do the best for the company or the deal that you are building.” A message from Mark about technology transfer was, “Forget about the technology! Technology transfer is all about people. Get that right, above all!” It was not only the Ningbo Science Park that heard from Sussex IP and the Sussex Innovation Centre. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Vice-Presidents of Chinese Universities came during November to learn about entrepreneurship and technology transfer. So what is the trigger for all this interest, particularly from China? There have been sweeping reforms recently in the regulation of the Chinese investment system that have freed companies from seeking government approval for projects. This coupled with investment in infrastructure, like the giant Ningbo Science Park, means that government officials are anxious that new companies are given every chance to succeed and that Chinese technology is exploited properly. There are big cultural differences between China and the West and particularly the Anglo-Saxon approach. As China emerges from decades of political constraint, it is important that new ways are learned quickly. Sussex is playing its part and Tony Moore, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and Mike Herd visited China earlier this month. “We don’t always get it right at Sussex and we are always ready to learn as well as help others!” said Mike Herd. What are the groups and separate companies working on enterprise agenda - incubation, technology transfer, regional development and research support - at the University of Sussex? Sussex IP http://www.sussexip.com/ Technology transfer by licensing or forming new companies separate company formed 2002 Sussex Innovation Centre http://www.sinc.co.uk/ Incubation of early stage companies separate company formed 1996 Regional Development Office http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/rdo/ Developing regionally-based earned-income opportunities and supporting the University's regional strategy formed 2002 Research Services Division http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/research/index.shtml Supporting researchers and administering existing research restructured 2000 Sussex IP: 01273 873000, email: sip-info@sussex.ac.uk WHAT MAKES A GOOD IDEA FOR COMMERCIALISATION? _____________________________________________ Before you come to us with your idea, ask yourself the following questions: * Does it have an Industrial Application? * Is it genuinely new? * Does it address a need? * Could anything stop it being successful? * How big is the market - Will it make enough money and be commercially viable? SOME USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS ___________________________ Sussex Innovation Centre: 01273 704400 Sussex IP: 01273 873000 SPONSORS ________ Sigmer: http://www.sigmer.com Genetix: http://www.genetix.co.uk Protenix: http://www.protenix.com SOME USEFUL LINKS _________________ The UK Patent Office: http://www.patent.gov.uk UNICO: The University Companies Association: http://www.unico.org.uk AURIL: The Association for University Research & Industry Links: http://www.auril.org.uk Sussex University Research Services Division: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/research/index.shtml Sussex IP: http://www.sussexip.com This is the fourth Sussex IP newsletter. We welcome your comments and feedback to mail to: sip-info@sussex.ac.uk.