Engineering Entrepreneurship:
A Unique Cooperation Between University and Industry
Gregory P. Crawford
Eric M. Suuberg
Division of Engineering, Box D
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Advanced Manufacturing Institute Conference on University
And Manufacturing Industry Collaboration
Kansas State University
August 2002
Gregory_Crawford@Brown.Edu
Eric_Suuberg@Brown.Edu
Engineering Entrepreneurship
Mission Statement
To provide engineering and non-engineering
students a truly high-technology entrepreneurial
business experience and challenging engineering
design experience by interacting with local
industry & business professionals.
Funded by the National Science Foundation:
Action Agenda for Systemic Engineering Reform
EEC-9972938
Course Infrastructure
Rapid Prototyping Facility
Entrepreneur Headquarters
Make them feel like a real company (responsibility):
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Computers
Internet access
Conference phone
Copy machine
Scanner
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Fax machine
24 hour access
Laptop
LCD Projector
Engineering Entrepreneurship
Engineers
Civil
Bioengineering
Chemical
Mechanical
Electrical Computer
Materials
NSF Funding
Non-Engineers
Economics
English
PPSO
Classics
OBM
Humanities
Interdisciplinary
Entrepreneurial Student
Companies
Local Industry
Practical Lectures
Brown Faculty
Entrepreneurship Course Goals
Semester I
Semester II
Company Role Board of Directors
Practical Lectures
• teamwork
• intellectual property
• technical marketing
• business plan
• case studies
Deliverables
• preliminary b-plan
• market due diligence
• engineering design
• colleague evaluation
• presentations
Company takes on new role -
Winter
Break
Investors !
Requirements
• presentations
• competitions
Technology
Demonstrator
• Engineering Launch ?
• Business Plan
Professional
Business Plan
Lectures
• venture capital
• finances
Focus
Semester II
Mentor Models
Technology Mentor
Broad
Technology
Idea
Search Markets
Find Applications
Narrow Concept
Product
Customer Mentor
Customer Need
Search for Technology
Feasibility
Integration
Narrow Concept
Product
Intellectual Property / Ownership
Conception
Mentor Company
Seeds Idea
Student Team
Value Creation
Development
Ownership Outcomes
Students take new
direction and ownership
Company retains IP
Company Given
Ownership of IP
Proof of Concept
Company relinquishes IP
to students
Thoughts from a IP Lawyer
Goals
 All inventors assign rights to
sponsoring company
Product Development
for Sponsor
Company
 Assign rights to student company
Create Start-Up
Goals
Upperclass Design
Course
 No inventions assigned to sponsor
 Company co-inventors assign
rights to student company
 Sponsoring company agrees not to
receive shop right.
 Proceed with no agreements
(Probably o.k.)
Reference: Neil Ferraro, Wolf Greenfield & Sachs (Boston, MA)
Brown Venture Forum, March 2002
September
December
Faculty & Guest Lectures
August
Faculty screen ideas:
• No tech service
• No product improvement
January
Final review
B-plan & prototype
Design & prototype
review
Reconnect with
mentors
Preliminary b-plan.
Technical Feasibility
& design review.
Market & IP and
Preliminary design
Review.
Meet mentors
Seed Idea.
Form companies
Course Timeline
May
Faculty & Guest Lectures
Winter Break
Faculty review b-plans
• Technical feasibility
• Market feasibility
June & July
Faculty assess results:
• preparing field manual
Conformance
Solutions
January
Visit IMS
NCIIA Visit
visits
Stony Brook
Brook
Visit Hasbro
December
Visit Stony
Winter Break
IMS Visits
Brook
Visit Stony
September
Visit Hasbro
Visit Sciperio
Final review
B-plan & prototype
NCIIA Proposals due
RI Business Plan
Laser Fare
Sustain business
Laser Fare
Business Model
Laser Fare
New Markets
Laser Fare
Reconnect with
Preliminary b-plan
Laser Fare
Feasibility
Laser Fare
Business Ideas
Laser Fare
Application Ideas
Meet mentor seed
Idea. Laser Fare
Direct Write
Form companies
Example Course Timeline
May
What we have learned
Application by admission only
(50% Engineering/50% Non-Engineers)
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Good Academics
Core Expertise
High Enthusiasm
Year commitment
Sponsoring Companies have
stake in success of project
• Strong Interest
• Core Experience
• Access to resources
& Information
Good Match between project/students
• Technical Expertise
• Overlap interests
• Watch Strong
Personality
Avoid non-disclosure agreements
• Students Will Talk
• No NDA’s
• If necessary then
‘good faith’
Grading
Mentor Feedback
Quality of Work Product
Self and Personnel
Evaluations
• Presentations
• Written work
• Engineering design
Frequent Interactions
General Observations
• Students always suggest pass / fail option (Faculty disagree)
• Grades < A, Students either drop out or become motivated
• Important to privately discuss performance with students
1999-2001 Projects & Partners
MDigital
Intrinsic Systems
Electronic Medical Records
TS Prince
Filtration Bag Technology
Wireless Automation
200001
IRIS Solutions
Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL)
1999-2001
Companies
Handprint
Portable Ink Jet Printing
2001-2002 Project
Technology
Integrated hand-held printer technology
for small scale portable devices, e.g. PDAs,
Palm Pilots, etc.
Initial Market Entry
Electronic prescription writing
and rounds report printing for
medical professionals
Partner
Group preparing for presentation to:
2001-2002 Project
Competition
Electronics (print engine)
Novel CAD Designs – Side Printing
Rapid Prototyping Case
Smiles when it FITS !
2001-2002 Project
Technology
Magnetorheological (MR) Fluids – Complex
fluids that ‘harden’ and ‘soften’ with EM
Activation. Potential vibration dampeners
External magnetic field applied
Market
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)Degenerate nerve and vascular damage
caused by vibrating tools. Construction
& vibrating tool operators.
Partner
Sensory Technologies, Inc.,
NOW Afferent
Group preparing for presentation to:
2001-2002 Project
CompetitionPassive Dampening
CAD design of tool
handle design
Rapid Prototyping
Electronics
Proof of Concept- preliminary data
acquired in Prince Laboratory
2001-2002 Project
Conformance
Solutions
Technology
Direct write machines ‘write’ electrically
conductive lines (< ½ human hair)
Market
A disruptive technology designed to
place electronics in places that were
previously thought impossible.
Enabling new applications.
Partner
2001-2002 Project
Conformance
Solutions
Gov’t Funding
Local RI Partner Company
Technology Developers
Potential (Local) Customers
2001-2002 Project
Direct-Write in Action
Conformance
Solutions
Inexpensive Toy Electronics
Success / Work Product
Journal of Engineering Education
Engineering Entrepreneurship: An Example
of a Paradigm Shift in Engineering Education (April 2002, page 185)
National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance
Four student teams were awarded $15-20K each to continual their
efforts. NCIIA also supported smaller grants for student travel.
Brown Entrepreneurship Program
Ferrosity – 2002 Winner – 25K Award.
Brown Venture Forum
Developing New Products with Non-Traditional Resources
March 2002
National Science Foundation
Suuberg & Crawford preparing field manual for other universities
Disclose successes and failures of our venture.
Advanced Manufacturing Institute
Engineering Entrepreneurship: A Unique Cooperation Between
University and Industry, August 12-13, 2001, Kansas State
Intellectual Property
Student groups have filed provision patent applications.
Provide an opportunity
to develop written and
oral communication
skills
18
Provide challenging
technical design
experience
18
Provide a genuine
teamwork experience
Provide entrepreneurial
experience. Introduce
issues of IP, technical
marketing & business
economics
Course Goal Assessment
Definitely
Somewhat
Not at all
18
15
17
3
1
Compared to other Brown
courses that you have taken,
do you feel that this experience
was:
More Valuable
Comparable
Less Valuable
Student Testimonies
“The course bridged the gap between academics and real life.
Theory, problem solving, and midterms are fine, but this course
used other, more challenging ways to test the students…”
“I think this is by far the best, most applicable, greatest functional
class that I have ever taken…”
“This is like the real thing! The professors created real life
circumstances in a business environment to develop a technology
and apply it to the market demand...”
“It has been one of the more challenging and time consuming
courses, but at the same time, more exciting and most rewarding
of, probably all course that I have taken at Brown …”
Post Course
Independent
Funding
New
Relationship
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RI B-Plan Competition
NCIIA Competition
SBIR Programs
Angles / VCs / Family
• Relative to Brown
• Relative to Sponsor
Education
Is
Our
Product
Summary
Course is intensive for Students
• Engineers  Heavy Engin Course
• Non-Engineers  Very Heavy Load
• 1.5 faculty required for 24 students
• Time consuming/ long hours/
late nights
Faculty resource intensive
• Enriching for faculty
• Learn something new
• Other benefits
Amazing
Opportunity
• Enriching for students
• Business experience
• written/oral/presentation
skills
Acknowledgements
Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF):
Action Agenda for Systemic Engineering Reform
(EEC-9972938)
National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA):
Provided funding for two student teams to carry on
their entrepreneurial efforts after the class, and also
providing travel funds to students within the class to
attend professional workshops and conferences
Division of Engineering for providing funding to
create the entrepreneurial headquarters