University as an Engine of Innovation and
Entrepreneurship
Petteri Sinervo
Development Manager
BID Business and Innovation Development
University of Turku
Warsaw May 12, 2011
OTSIKKO
Tekstiä
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 Postgraduate 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 Universities
SCIENTIFIC
EXCELLENCE
2ND GENERATION
UNIVERSITY AS SCIENCE
1ST GENERATION
UNIVERSITY AS
INTELLECTUAL CENTER
3RD GENERATION
UNIVERSITY 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
ENTREPRENEURIAL AND
INNOVATIVE EXCELLENCE
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 based
on the modern
OPEN
INNOVATION
concept
where
innovations
are often
created in
networks and
where
business and
market forces
are as
important
drivers as
technology
BID is founded
on the
utilisation of
MEDICI
EFFECT
where
innovation is
best supported
by bringing
together
different
academic
fields and also
other actors in
business
environment
BID is a Change Agent
Objectives
• 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
ICT
excellence
Business
competence
and innovation
development
Research
and
knowledge
of academic
disciplines
Operating in:
- Research: academic and applied
- Education: Basic, post-graduate, additional
- Business development
- Awareness
Better
utilization of
academic
knowledge
and
research
outcomes
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 !