I NNOVATION ASSOCIATES Accelerating Economic Development Through University Technology Transfer Accelerating Economic Development Through University Technology Transfer Based on: Report to the Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board of the Governor's Competitiveness Council Prepared by: Innovation Associates Inc. www.InnovationAssoc.com www.InnovationAssociates.us email: [email protected] tel: 703.925.9402 Diane Palmintera, Author Robert Hodgson, Consultant Louis Tornatzky, Consultant Echo XiaoXiang Lin, Research Assistant February 2005 Copyright pending The findings, conclusions and recommendations are solely those of the author and Innovation Associates Inc., and do not necessarily reflect those of any other individual, institution or agency. Cover design by [email protected] CONTENTS Foreword iii Preface v Acknowledgements vi Executive Summary viii Abbreviations xii I. Introduction 1 Universities as a Pipeline for Technology-Based Economic Development 2 The Role of State Government in Building a Technology-Based Infrastructure 3 Methodology 5 II. Summary of Lessons Learned 8 Lessons for Government and Business Leaders 8 Lessons for Academic Leaders 13 Cross-Cutting Lessons 19 III. Case Studies 21 Carnegie Mellon University 22 Georgia Institute of Technology 32 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 44 Purdue University 54 Stanford University 63 University of California, San Diego 71 University of Pennsylvania 80 University of Wisconsin-Madison 91 Washington University 100 Appendix ii Innovation Associates Inc. www.InnovationAssoc.com STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106 FOREWORD Connecticut's prosperity, quality of life and economic future depend upon its ability to make the most of its technology assets and ability to innovate. Connecticut has some of the finest academic and research facilities in the world, and one of the most educated and productive workforces in the nation. We are leveraging these resources to advance our technology industries, and to create new science and technology businesses and jobs. The Report to the Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board of the Governor's Competitiveness Council has far-reaching implications for job growth, economic development and education - three of my top priorities. Jobs in the 21st century will be grown, not merely filled, and the companies that create them must be nurtured, not merely attracted to our state. Yankee Ingenuity is still our ace in the hole. It has been a key to our success for 300 years. Our challenge now is to turn that ingenuity toward creating the underpinnings of a 21st century economy. Connecticut is very fortunate to have institutions such as Yale University and the University of Connecticut (UCONN) as well as 45 other universities and colleges. In 2003, Yale and UCONN together spent more than $600 million in research and development. The Yale School of Medicine, widely recognized as an international leader in life sciences research, spent more than $270 million for research and training and is one of the top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health. UCONN's Centers for Regenerative Biology, Global Fuel Cell Center, Institute for Materials Sciences, Center for Marine Sciences, and School of Engineering also are conducting cutting-edge research. Connecticut is home to hundreds of world-renowned corporations, many of which have their research headquarters in the state. Corporations such as Pitney Bowes, Pfizer, United Technologies, U.S. Surgical Corporation, Boehringer Ingelheim, General Electric and Bristol- Myers Squibb are leading research and development in their fields. In a five-year period, the top five corporations alone in Connecticut produced 1,700 patents. This rich corporate research base provides the pipeline for future innovation and jobs in industries such as pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, aerospace and defense, information technology and software, finance and insurance, and manufacturing. iii Innovation Associates Inc. www.InnovationAssoc.com Composed of CEOs from a cross-section of industries, legislative leaders, heads of key educational institutions, labor representatives, officials of industry associations and several state commissioners, the Governor's Competitiveness Council was established to oversee cluster based economic development efforts in Connecticut. In November 2003 the Council created the Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board to examine and evaluate technology transfer and commercialization processes. The Board includes prominent business, university, venture capital and public sector leaders. In early 2004, the Board sought an assessment of national and international best practices in university technology transfer and commercialization and recommendations for steps Connecticut should take. The report to the Board targets factors that help state position their universities as centers of innovation and business growth, including strong academic leadership and research capabilities, availability of early stage capital, commitment to and support of entrepreneurship programs, and the existence of infrastructure such as innovation centers, incubators and research parks. As Governor of the State of Connecticut, I am pleased to share parts of this report with other state, academic and corporate leaders across the country. These are competitive times, and the competition is increasingly global. More than ever it is important for states to work toward the common goals of strengthening the nation’s scientific and technological research and building its technological workforce. Connecticut will be doing its part to help lead the way. PREFACE In 2003-2004, the Connecticut Governor’s Competitiveness Council began forging a path toward national science and technology leadership. It formed the Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board composed of leaders from the State’s top universities, corporations, venture capital firms, and economic development organizations. As one step toward building a State agenda for science and technology leadership, the Advisory Board contracted with Innovation Associates Inc. to examine national models of university-based initiatives and provide recommendations that would leverage the State’s university resources and enhance its economic competitiveness. This report – Accelerating Economic Development Through University Technology Transfer – is excerpted from Innovation Associates’ Report to the Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board of the Governor's Competitiveness Council. It highlights models of university technology transfer and commercialization, related efforts such as entrepreneurship programs, and the infrastructure and environment needed to support commercialization efforts. The Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board generously allowed the release of major portions of the original report as a contribution to the knowledge base in university technology transfer and technology-based economic development. This report does not include the recommendations to the State of Connecticut or discussion about Connecticut institutions found in the original report. It does provide case studies of university-based technology transfer and related economic development initiatives that lay the groundwork for state, university, and corporate actions to leverage university resources. It also informs state and national policy leaders about the importance of funding research and development in universities and supporting the infrastructure – seed capital, networking, entrepreneurial development, incubation, specialized laboratories and other tools – necessary for innovation, technology transfer and commercialization to flourish. We hope that the report will promote state, university, and corporate leaders throughout the nation to collectively take action that will leverage and build upon our nation’s unparalleled research base. Diane Palmintera President, Innovation Associates Inc. v Innovation Associates Inc. www.InnovationAssoc.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Innovation Associates Inc. (IA) would like to thank the members of the Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board of the Governor's Competitiveness Council, its expert panel, and cluster representatives for their active input to this report. This report could not have been completed without the contributions of this distinguished group of executives representing universities, business, and government. We would particularly like to thank Louis Hernandez Jr., Chairman of the Advisory Board, who provided direction and leadership. A list of the members of the Advisory Board is found in Appendix A. We also would like to recognize the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s support of this effort through a grant to the State of Connecticut. We especially appreciate William Kaufmann’s valuable input and feedback throughout the project. Alissa DeJonge, Economist, Connecticut Economic Resource Center also provided extensive assistance. IA appreciates the advice of its National Advisory Group on the selection of university models for case studies and additional advice. A list of the Group appears in Appendix B. We want to particularly acknowledge Louis Tornatzky, Select University Technologies and Paul Waugaman, Technology Commercialization Group (TCG) who provided valuable input to this report. TCG also provided