Genome Canada / Génome Québec
Entrepreneurship Education in
Genomics (EEG) Program
Boosting Entrepreneurial Skills & Training:
BEST in genomics !
Ottawa, 27 septembre 2011
Denis J. Garand, Ph.D., FSA-MNG, Université Laval
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! The best team of all !
Denis J. Garand
Laval U. - FSA - Entrepreneurship & SME Management
Diane Poulin
Laval U. - FSA - Management Dept. (High-tech strategy)
Maripier Tremblay
Laval U. - FSA - Management Dept. (Entrepreneurship)
Sophie Veilleux
UQAM - ESG - Marketing Dept. (International technology)
Jacques Baronet
Sherbrooke U. - Entrepreneurship Institute
Johanne Queenton
Sherbrooke U. - Innovation management
Catherine Beaudry
Polytechnique Montreal - Maths & Industrial Engineering
Roger C. Lévesque
Laval U. - Institut Biologie Intégrative et Systèmes (IBIS)
Michel G. Bergeron
Laval U. - CHUL Research Center (CHUQ)
Marc-André Sirard
Laval U. - FSAA - INAF (Animal genomics)
Richard Cloutier
CQVB - Centre québécois de valorisation des biotechnologies
Francis Beaulieu
Montréal InVivo
Plus : an impressive SEAB (advisory board) of 10 members +
30 collaborators from all fields of genomics and regions in Québec and Atlantic
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! Partners and funding

Genome Canada, Génome Québec,
Université Laval.

CQVB, Montréal InVivo.

Private funding :
◦ BD
◦ Managium
◦ CQDM

Needed co-funding : 25% … ± 300 K$
secured before June 2012

Total budget (2011-2014) : 1.2 M $
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
Universal definition of entrepreneurship
Independent work
& microenterprise
Entrepreneurial
staff & student
projects
Multiple
meanings
Traditional
enterprise
creation
Social economy
& cooperatives
Intrapreneurship
& spin-offs
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
Who and where are
potential entrepreneurs ?
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! The missing link …
BEST is a combination of four generic activities :
– awareness
– education
– training
– business model development
However, awareness appears as one of the missing
links in entrepreneurship education and venture
creation / development.
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! Objectives
to foster, analyze and maximize the knowledge
translation of scientific innovations into
commercially relevant outputs
 specifically, how to create and capture value
from biotech and genomics research
 to bring together all stakeholders (academia,
public and private) in supporting these scientific
entrepreneurs and their projects
 how to translate these discoveries into
marketable applications, products, technologies,
systems and processes.

BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! Means





Identifying all those active, latent and potential
intra- and entrepreneurs in genomics
providing them with the necessary entrepreneurial
skills required to succeed
helping researchers and their projects by
understanding the processes and players
involved in commercialization
optimizing the availability of expertises from all
stakeholders from Québec and Atlantic (universities,
research centers, UTTS/IULO, industry-led clusters,
private firms)
building an embedded and symbiotic
entrepreneurship education profile for genomics.
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! Culture enabler
Even if graduate students are not yet Genome
Canada funded researchers, they must be
included in this pilot project as they are the
future candidates for such funding
 Fostering entrepreneurship is a long term process
involving the development of an
entrepreneurial culture
 Encoding entrepreneurship attitudes and
skills within these younger cohorts of scientists
will eventually impact the older groups
 Seniors will then face more entrepreneurial newcomers, inducing among everyone more
effervescence and emulation.

BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! Competences & Skills

Help scientists to realize their entrepreneurial
potential, as many of them have never been aware of
it, or confirm their true value as active entrepreneurs

Provide the tools to develop their savoir-agir (action)

Through five generic entrepreneurial competences :
◦ creativity and innovation
◦ flexibility and adaptability
◦ communication
◦ networking
◦ problem-solving
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! In four (4) levels
Four-Level personalized approach bringing
together individuals and their entrepreneurial
objectives:

Level 1 : Enlightening entrepreneurial
awareness

Level 2 : Scientific innovation and
opportunity recognition

Level 3 : Enhancing the value of innovations
- Connecting science to industry

Level 4 : Bouncing from project to
commercialization
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! Expected outcomes

Develop a wider, stronger, and long-lasting basis of
entrepreneurial culture for all fields of genomics.

Be more proactive in increasing well-understood
success factors associated with commercializing
research – fundamental concepts of effective
entrepreneurship - instead of waiting for those rare
cases of successful genomics entrepreneurs.

Expand and optimize relationships between academia
and private firms in biotech and genomics.

Improve and maintain short-, mid- and long-term
economic outcomes in Canada.
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! To conclude …

Fostering and maintaining an entrepreneurial culture,
especially among scientists and academics, is not an
easy task, as it’s now missing so much.

BEST in genomics! has all the drive and expertise
needed to attain such objectives.

Please support this 3-year pilot-project and you
will be fully rewarded on the mid- and long-term.
Let’s spread the entrepreneurial virus
among biotech and genomics !
No cure is needed.
Infection starts RIGHT NOW !
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011
BEST in genomics ! Contacts …
For further information, please feel free to contact :
Denis J. GARAND : (418) 261-1827
Université Laval : denis.j.garand@fsa.ulaval.ca
Richard CLOUTIER : (418) 657-3853 #209
CQVB : richard.cloutier@cqvb.qc.ca
Francis BEAULIEU : (514) 987-9386
Montréal InVivo : FBeaulieu@montreal-invivo.com
BEST in Genomics !, Sept. 27, 2011