Seminar Organized by
Partners
October 13 or 14, 2009
Prague 10.10.2009 at CZECH TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE
Zikova 4, 166 36, Prague 6, Phone: +420 224 35 1111, +420 234 35 1111, Czech Republic
Building the Bridge between research and Business
*Czech and Scandinavian experiences*
Universities of Technology are enormous assets for regional development. They generate
knowledge which can be transferred into market solutions and supply high-tech companies
with skilled employees. There is an increasing demand for Universities of Technology taking a
proactive role in the processes of regional innovation policy.
This seminar is about how to strengthen and establish cooperation between high-tech
companies and academic institutions; and how to strengthen the international views and
contacts.
Scandinavia has a long tradition with initiatives linking science – innovation and
commercialization but also in the Czech Republic there are several aspiring experiences in this
field
During the seminar we shall examine those initiatives and see how they can be applied in a
Czech context
More specifically we shall deal with the following issues:




National and international cooperation between Universities of Technology
How cooperation with the local/regional community can be initiated by Universities of
Technology
How to take up a proactive role in processes of regional innovation policy.
How to get an applied approach into the educational system
The purpose of the event

The main objectives are to transfer / share knowledge and best practices and,
empower the participants to start activities to accelerate the cooperation between the
commercial and academic sphere.

It is also an objective to build network relations, between the participants from the
Danish and Czech side

With outset in the workshops we shall construct an idea catalogue. This will be used for
creating initiatives. This follow up can take the shape of work groups, follow up
seminars or project suggestions. CECMI and the BIC at CTU intend to promote and
facilitate such initiatives
Target Group:




The seminar target groups are the faculty professors and teaching assistants, and
university professionals working within the fields of business economics, technical
sciences or innovation and entrepreneurship.
Representatives from governmental or semi governmental institutions working with
Innovation, entrepreneurship, higher education or Science.
Representatives from incubator initiative and Business Innovation Centers
Leaders from technological businesses in CR
Program
8, 30 -9.00
Opening - Prof. Ing. Václav Havlíček, CSc. , Rector of CTU Prague.
Introduction:
Status of academic industry cooperation in the two countries
9.00 - 9.45
Presentation of Danish innovation and science policy
Mr. Thomas Alslev Department Manager of the Board of research and innovation tells about
the status of - and experiences with public research funding, researcher mobility,
regionalization of Research and innovation, commercialization of research, interaction between
knowledge institutions and business innovation policy, Eu research programs and the
international cooperation on research and innovation.
9.45– 10.00 Coffee break
10.00- 10.45 The status of cooperation between academics and industry in the Czech
Republic
Miroslava Kopicová, former Minister of Education, presents the status of cooperation between
academics and industry in the Czech Republic and gives her view on the opportunities and
obstacles for an extended cooperation. She also explains why it is important since The Czech
Republic in the longer run cannot only rely on operations that benefit from moderate cost levels
¨¨¨
Part 1
Supporting Entrepreneurship through Business
incubators and science parks
10.45-11.45 Supporting Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Research Engagement in
Universities - a Danish Example
Frank Gertsen. Professor in Innovation Management Aalborg University, Denmark present an
overview of how Aalborg University successfully has managed to outreach and support
entrepreneurship and innovation at the university. E.g. in form of supporting entrepreneurship
and innovation in the different educations offering innovation training to students combined
with Problem-based Project Organized Learning, , working with local businesses, building
incubators
11.45 12.45 lunch
12.45 -13.45 Danish Business incubators and science parks
XXX from FOIN Association of innovative networks in Denmark tells about Danish experiences
with science parks and all innovation incubators in Denmark. Hereunder how the objective of
increasing the Danish science parks' and innovation incubators' development and joint interest
in Denmark and worldwide has been handled through common development of products,
services and concepts, joint education of staff, knowledge sharing and co-ordination.
¨
13.45 –14.00 Coffee break
14.00- 15.00 transfer of technologies etc. - pieces of opinion and experience of CTU faculties
15, 00-16.00 Examples of cooperation between FDI and universities in he Czech
Republic.
Bang & Olufsen launched in June 2006, implementation of the new project - the expansion of
the Danish research and development in the Czech Republic. Czech Republic has become
another place where the birth of ideas
B & O has an extended cooperation with university of báňská - Technická univerzita Ostrava
and the Science and Technology Park in Ostrava. This cooperation is a valuable source for the
acquisition of experts to Bang and olufsens development center. One of the consequences of
the project is that students have the opportunity to get insight in- and to practice in practice
their theoretical knowledge. Thus B & O has leased a laboratory in Ostrava Science and
Technology Park where they provide the latest technologies. Students who demonstrate
sufficient skills and interest, are offered work in the development center in Koprivnice after
graduation
16.00 16.30 Wind up on day one
Day two
9.00.-11.00 Workshop on Science technology parks and business incubators:
Discussion on if and how the Scandinavian experiences can be applied in a Czech context –
output a white paper for further work - specific agenda will follow
11.00 –11.15 Coffee break
Part two
How to integrate business in the educational system and achieve an
applied approach
11.15 – 12.15 A Danish initiative to create an Engineering Bachelor program that builds
a bridge between Engineering, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Jesper Vej Ass. Professor at Center for Continuous Education at the Engineering college of
Copenhagen outlines the principles behind a new engineering Bachelor program, which breaks
with the traditional paradigm for technical educations. The new bachelor program “Process and
Innovation” supplement the traditional Engineering skills with courses in innovation,
entrepreneurship and more general business skills. Further the program includes projects with
a business interface as well as a trainee period,
12.15 – 13.15 lunch
13.15 – 14.30 The Industrial PhD initiative for natural Scientists
Xxx presents the Danish industrial PhD scheme, it is a special PhD construction giving SME’s
the opportunity to get a researcher affiliated students during three years,
The industrial Ph.D. - Training provides the companies with a chance to hire one of the best
university students who will work with specific issues and challenges. In addition to the
research the Ph.D. also includes a module to provide the candidate with Business capabilities.
The research students will be sharing their time equally between the company and the
university, which means that he / she also can benefit from his broad professional networks in
terms of researchers and students on campus.
The PhD cooperation gives the company a number of advantages like: Access to the vast
knowledge, the university owns, and the research, the students is producing, during the course
of training - and also allows them to shape a possible future employee because the student
would get a great insight into the business and industry during the course.
14.30-14.45
Coffee Break
14.45-16.45
Workshop, Networking session, topic :
Discussion on if and how the Scandinavian experiences can be applied in a Czech context –
output a white paper for further work –specific agenda will follow
16.45-17.00
wind up on the conference