The Business of Physics
Or how your research in astronomy and space
science could have wider economic impact
Nathan Hill
STFC Knowledge Exchange Service
24th August 2007, Durham
Contents
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
Sun Headline – 1st November 2006 (fake)
BIG BANG TO
BIG BUST!
Astronomers from STFC save New
York from dirty bomb attack
Independent Headline – 1st November 2006 (fake)
UK Astronomers deal a punch to AlQuaedah; protect citizens from
‘dirty bomb’ threat in subway
- Handheld “INTEGRAL” space telescope key to protection
- Southampton spinout company doubles in size
- Smiths plc shares up 17% on $222m order
- STFC Chief Executive Keith Mason gets 20% extra
funding for astronomy and space science
Inside: Why UK support for ESA missions pays dividends
ESA Knowledge Transfer Case Study
Gamma Astronomy to Homeland Security
STFC and ESA have supported technology for gamma astronomy for over
40 years
This and further support for two STFC/RSE Enterprise Fellowships
led to the formation of Symetrica in 2002
In November 2006, Smiths Detection announced a $222m contract for
handheld radiation instrumentation for the US Department of Homeland
Security for dirty bomb detection
Each instrument incorporates Symetrica detectors and electronics
A gamma-ray burst
Credit: PRC99-09, STScI
OPO, A. Fruchter (STScI)
and NASA
Gamma-ray
Detector: credit
Smiths Detection
Contents
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
What will you do after your PhD?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Postdoctoral research
Work in the city, or as a lawyer or consultant
Work in industry including IT
Go into teaching
Not sure yet
It’s not all about research
Destinations of STFC PhD students 1.8.05 – 31.7.06
Other
13%
Government & Public
Sector
8%
Further research
48%
Inustry & Commerce
23%
Teaching
8%
Industry & Commerce
PPARC study 2003
Financial Services: 24%
Business Services: 24%
Information Technology: 29%
Manufacturing: 13%
Other: 10%
+ add public sector jobs in MOD, DoH etc
NB 7% are self-employed
Physics in the outside world
Skilled people who have learned how to think
Physics-based industry
Technologies and techniques
Importance of fundamental discovery
Contents
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Physics in the outside world
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
Knowledge Exchange and its vectors
Knowledge Exchange involves the transfer of people,
skills, Intellectual Property, money and infrastructure
towards a project goal.
Vectors include:
- Spinout
- Licence
- Collaborative Research & Development
- Consultancy
- Secondment
Contents
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
STFC Industry Engagement Strategy
Spread technologies to broader market areas:
– Through industry & interdisciplinary collaborative
research
– By supporting entrepreneurial activity in our community
Support UK academic and industrial leadership in the STFC
programme through Programme Technology Development
Engagement with Industry
Technology
Capability
Enhancemen
t
Programme
Construction
Contracts
Knowledge
Transfer
Opportunitie
s
Science & Innovation Campuses
Brokering & Entrepreneurship – KITE Club
Commercialisation – CLIK
Contents
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
What makes a good proposition?
For Venture Finance investment:
-
Team
Substantial Market
Potential for Market Disruption
Intellectual Property
Business Model
What makes a good proposition?
I assess:
-
Team
Market / Economic Impact
Technology Maturity
Objectives / Strategic Fit
Project
Vector / Business Model
Finance
Contractual
Contents
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
STFC’s Networking Clubs
STFC KITE Club
– Established business network includes
defence, security, aerospace, space, life
sciences, healthcare, IT sector activities
– Team of Knowledge Exchange Advisors and
brokering workshop programme
Sensors & Instrumentation KTN
– The UK Sensing and Instrumentation Network
– We focus on the Instrumentation industry and
the scientific Research Facilities market
– Aims to provide industry with a joined-up
approach to the market for Research Facilities
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service
Help from Knowledge Exchange Advisors for partnerships, projects and
funding
Sector support:
– Healthcare & Life Science Technology
– Security, Defence, Aerospace & Space
– IT, Software and Electronics
– Instrumentation & Research Facilities
– Plus others – e.g. computer games, financial services
Events programme
Publicity and technical publications
– KITE Club web site
– KITE Club newsletter / Technology & Industry News
Support for entrepreneurship
– Individual support
– Funding and skills
Strong links with other Council activities
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Physics in the outside world
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
Spinouts and Entrepreneurship
Support from Knowledge Exchange Service
Follow-on Fund
UK Research Councils’ Business Plan Competition
STFC/RSE Enterprise Fellowships
European Special Applications Fund
Rainbow Seed Fund
Recent Corporate Transactions
Imense (July 2007)
Mini-PIPSS leads to £575k angel finance
e-business: Image classification and search
Technology development supported through £60k mini-PIPSS with
Prof. Andy Parker, Cambridge University HEP & e-science Centre.
Alex Efimov developed this project through the CERN PSRE2
activity, introducing Cambridge Ontology to Grid technology
through a CERN Grid brokering meeting in May 2006.
Particle Physics / e-Science – Cambridge / CERN
“We finally signed a favourable investment deal on Tuesday…This
would not have happened without our miniPIPSS project” David
Sinclair, CEO Imense
Recent Corporate Transactions
Geomerics (July 2007)
Enterprise Fellowship leads to £2.0m VC
Games industry
(after earlier £0.5m round and £150k Technology Programme grant)
We encouraged Chris Doran to apply for an Enterprise Fellowship and the
formation of Geomerics resulted. We introduced Chris to BAE Systems at the
Filton Advanced Technology Centre and to games industry players at a
brokering meeting.
Astrophysics - Cambridge
Cambridge Positioning Systems (January 2007)
$35m trade sale to CSR plc
Telecommunications
Prof. Peter Duffett-Smith founded CPS in 1999. Much has been written about
the origination of this mobile tracking technology in radio astronomy. CSR
purchased CPS to add positioning capability to its mobile Bluetooth devices.
Radio Astronomy - Cambridge
Collaborative Research & Development
PIPSS
– £175k/year (FEC) for 2 year partnerships (exceptionally 3
years)
– £110k (FEC) for mini-PIPSS pilot projects (<1yr)
Discipline Hoppers (with MRC)
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
A recent PIPSS Award: University of Leicester &
Forensic Science Service
£200,000 PIPSS award
From planetary imaging & image
analysis to trace evidence
identification (e.g. blood, semen,
bruises, fibres, and paint flecks)
Core techniques are multi / hyperspectral imaging and image analysis
Building the partnership 9 months
From application to award 9 weeks
Research project 14 months
Time to market ~3 years
Images: Mars ©ESA 2007, Forensic Science
Crown Copyright
Application target in proposed projects
Aerospace
Music Information Retrieval
Algorithmic Trading
Navigation
Cardiovascular
Neonatal Disorders
Cell Imaging
Nuclear
Collision Avoidance
Oncology
Dentistry
Optometry
Forensic Science
Project Management
Hydrate analysis
Spacecraft Charging
Image search
Surveillance
Instrumentation
Telecommunications
MEMS
Telescopes
Microsatellites
Text search & mining
Mineral Exploration
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service
Introduction
It’s not all about research
Physics in the outside world
Knowledge Exchange and its Vectors
STFC Industry Strategy and Knowledge Exchange activity
What makes a good proposition?
The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service and how we help
Support for Enterprise
Support for Collaborative R&D
Summary
Contacts
Summary & Contacts
Your research is important
But it may also have external value and this is important too
-Fundamental discovery
-Technologies and techniques
Impacts
-Your career prospects
-The UK and world economy
-Funding for STFC research
Remember the ‘soft’ aspects of teamwork / collaborative
projects
Support is available from your University / Institute and
the STFC Knowledge Exchange Service
Summary & Contacts
Contacts:
- Your PhD supervisor
- Your University / Institute Technology Transfer Office
- The STFC Knowledge Exchange Service
Nathan Hill
+44 (1223) 422405
nathan.hill@stfc.ac.uk