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events and courses : Inspiring Innovation - University of Dundee
Inspiring Innovation - University of Dundee
24 March 2010 - 09:00
Location University of Dundee
Based on a successful format we have used when talking to life scientists at Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt and St. Andrews, at Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield universities and at the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Moredun, Roslin and the Institute for Animal Health this 'new' workshop is targeted at engineers, technologists interested in digital technology and mathematicians in the early-stages of their careers who are interested in understanding how academic science can be translated into business opportunities.
Is this workshop for me
If you have ever asked yourself," how can I develop my work outside of academia, why might I do this and what help can I call upon?" the answer is yes. If you have also asked "what tools do I need to employ and understand to be succesful, what are the cornerstones that my business needS to be founded upon, what skills do succesful entrepreneurs have and how did they get going and finally what do investors want from me?" that's even better. You might also be just plain curious!
Find out the answers to these questions from four of Scotland's cutting-edge CEO's selected by Genecom who have done this for themselves. Find out what you can expect when you approach a VC and what Scotland is doing to develop academic entrepreneurship. Take part in an interactive full afternoon workshop on intellectual property management and find out how to use IP to underpin your research and perhaps business start-up.
Your CEO Panel
Steve Parkes Star-Dundee Ltd STAR-Dundee Ltd spun out of the University of Dundee in 1992. 'STAR' specialises in supporting users and developers of SpaceWire, a standard for data communications onboard satellites and spacecraft. SpaceWire is being used on ESA, NASA and JAXA spacecraft as well as by agencies, research organisations and space industry across the world. Steve Parkes is the Managing Director of STAR-Dundee. He has over 23 years experience as an electronic engineer and has spent more than 17 years working on electronic systems for spacecraft. Steve is the technical leader of the SpaceWire Working Group and has worked on SpaceWire technology since 1992.
Paul Farley- Tag Games
Paul is a games industry veteran with a wealth of experience on console, PC and mobile gaming platforms. He played a key role in the development of the Grand Theft Auto series whilst at DMA Design, later moving to Vis Entertainment where he led the design of another worldwide hit, State of Emergency. Joining I-play in 2000 as Head of Design he has built an unparalleled understanding of game creation for the mobile medium.
Colin MacDonald - Realtime Worlds entered the games industry in 1990 with SAM Computers Ltd, the manufacturer of the last British home computer, where he became Software Manager. Following that experience he founded and ran a small games development and publishing company brining around twenty titles to market, mostly original IP, but also including licences of Lemmings and Prince of Persia. He joined DMA Design in 1997 as Producer on the multi-billion dollar generating Grand Theft Auto franchise. He was then Producer on Mobile Forces and has since been Studio Manager at Realtime Worlds producing the 2m selling, BAFTA-winning Crackdown, and the title tipped to take the online games world by storm in 2010, APB
Graeme Malcolm is CEO of M Squared Lasers Ltd The company is named after the internationally defined figure of merit known as M² (M-Squared). Dr Malcolm has a first class honours B.Sc. degree in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics from Strathclyde University and conducted post-graduate Ph.D. research into compact solid-state laser sources untl 1992 when he co-founded Microlase Optical Systems Ltd to develop commercially the technology pursued within his Ph.D. studies. Microlase developed rapidly as one of the most successful Scottish optoelectronic startup companies. From 1992 to 2000 Graeme was responsible for the technological and commercial growth of the business, and pioneered new commercial applications of laser technology in many fields including microscopy to semiconductor inspection to optical data storage, and the company had a major impact in developing the global market for solid-state lasers, acquiring a worldwide reputation for excellence and innovation.
In 1999 he led a strategic alliance that culminated in the acquisition of Microlase by Coherent, Inc (NASDAQ listed, and one of the world's largest laser companies). and served as Managing Director and Director of Product Business Managementof the newly renamed Coherent Scotland Ltd, growing the business to a turnover of $25M, and leading the development of and move to a new world-class R&D and manufacturing facility for the company.
Pentech Ventures is the UK's premier Telecom, Media and Technology (TMT) venture fund and invests in software companies. Its investment team have all successfully taken software products to worldwide markets and the company is currently seeking opportunities to invest its £45m Fund II. It has invested in early-stage, pre-revenue companies from first-time entrepreneurs and in teams that "have done it all before", and in "companies that were already well established and were looking to break into new markets or new geographies". Sandy McKinnon has over 18 years experience in commercialising technology innovations. Prior to Pentech, he was Director of Knowledge Transfer & Technology and Research Services at Heriot-Watt University where he helped in mentoring and fund raising of twelve spin-out companies. Sandy will be coming home to Dundee where he was awarded a B.Sc.(first) in Physics before doing research at Cambridge University, working for 6 years in Nanotechnology with many of the pioneers in the field - his Ph.D. is for work on Amorphous Semiconductors.
IP Workshop
In collaboration with Marks and Clerk patent and trade mark attorneys, the interactive, afternoon workshop will feature the means by which intellectual property can be managed and more importantly, used to underpin new business. The workshop follows the format of previous workshops and promises to be a stimulating event. Featuring (to be confirmed) Maureen Kinsler Partner. Maureen is a qualified UK and European Patent Attorney with experience of many areas of patent practice, including oppositions before the European Patent Office. Deals with a variety of subject matter, but specialises in semiconductors, telecommunications, computer related inventions and business methods. Maureen was born and educated in Scotland. Obtained an honours degree in physics and a doctorate in semiconductor devices from Glasgow University, followed by a masters degree in Intellectual Property Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.Richard Gibbs Associate. Richard advises clients in patenting and other IP matters in the field of biotechnology and has particular expertise in technologies relating to antibodies, vaccines, biologics, virology, bacteriology and molecular biology. He has worked with all of Scotland’s major universities and is a regular and popular contributor to Genecom workshops. Richard joined the patent profession after a period as both a research scientist and a university lecturer having obtained an honours degree in medical microbiology and a doctorate in immunology and microbiology from the University of Edinburgh.
Provisional Program (subject to confirmation)
09:00 - Registration
09:30 - Welcome and introduction. Professor Anne Anderson, Vice-Principal and Head of College of Art & Design, Architecture, Engineering & Physical Sciences
09:45 - Enterprise and Academic Entrepreneurship. Dr. Patrick McCarthy CEO, Genecom Ltd
10:00 - Lessons from 'those who have gone before'
Dr. Steve Parkes - Star-Dundee
Dr. Graeme Malcolm - M Squared Lasers Ltd
Colin MacDonald - Realtime Worlds
Paul Farley - Tag Games
12:00 - Q&A. Your chance to quiz the panel
12:25 - A Venture Capitalists view - Sandy McKinnon - Pentech Ventures
12:55 - Lunch
2:00 pm - Intellectual Property Workshop - Marks and Clerk Ltd
5:00 pm Workshop ends
Getting to Bonar Hall
For a map and directions to Bonar Hall, click here
To book this event
Contact Helen-Louise Murphy or revealingresearch@dundee.ac.uk or telephone 01382 386660
Genecom is a leading provider of Knowledge Transfer training to universities and PSRE's(IKT Recognised Course Provider Status applied for).
last updated Friday 19th February at 10:04 am
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