How to promote entrepreneurship and commercialization of research at an old General University? Lars Jonsson Head of UU Innovation & UUAB Holding Company Uppsala University Sweden
Jan 12, 2016
How to promote entrepreneurship and commercialization of research at an old General University?
Lars Jonsson Head of UU Innovation & UUAB Holding Company
Uppsala UniversitySweden
Old General Universities
• Difficult to grasp
• Even more difficult to manage
• Long processes to achieve living policies
• Strong academic culture– It is not noble to commercialize– Professor's privilege
Uppsala University
• 530 years in business…– Strong academic traditions– Academic research should stand free!
• Heavily decentralized
• Strongly divested– Theology Space Technology
Arts&Social Sciences
Nine faculties, Three disciplinary domains
Arts
Educational Sciences
Languages
Law
Social Sciences
Theology
Medicine
Pharmacy
Science and Technology
~450 M€ Annual turn over
Research 68%
Education 32%
Professor's privilegeA Swedish specialty…
•All results are the researchers private equity– The University has no rights
– Only Sweden; (Italy with some restrictions)
•Can not use University Money for– Patent applications
– Investments in shares
– Investments in developing projects
Tough odds for patents!
Canadian survey» Thomas Asterbot, Univ of
Toronto, 2003
1061 out of 1091 failed….
< 7 % reached the market
0,5 % became profitable
Research is an investment
Return of investment:– Competitive work force– Competitive inventions– Knowledge based economy– Increased welfare
A University Innovation System is mandatory to achieve this !
Commercialize research
We have a mission to make our
research useful to society
through commercialization and
patents.
Anders Hallberg, Vice-Chancellor, Uppsala University, 2006
Patents are instruments
•Patents and Knowledge Transfer should not be the goal for a university institution
•They are tools to establish a relation and enforce the institution!
• The Svedberg – Nobel Laureate 1926– The Ultracentrifuge
• Arne Tiselius – Nobel Laureate 1949– Electrophoresis and Chromatography
– Gel filtration, phase partition etc
Today: GE Health Biosciences
”The Svedberg Group”- the cradle of modern biotechnology industry!
Uppsala Bio
Invention to company turn-over
200019601940
Pharmacia Biotech GE Healthcare
600 MUSD *
Electrophoresis
Dextran
IgE
Phadia204 MUSD
1980
neuropeptides effect
on ocular blood flow
Xalatan™1.300 MUSD
SPR Biosensors
Biacore
67 MUSD
AMO Uppsala114 MUSD
Function of Hyaluronic
acid
Q-Med 78 MUSD
Heparin
Fragmin™
Biotage
Microwavesyntheses
Padlock Probes
Olink
Researchinventions
Commercialization
Turn-over today~2,600 MUSD / year
of which > 1,000 MUSD is based in Uppsala
What have been done - Organizational structure
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005Liasion office
STUNS – Non-profit
university & society foundation
Science Park
UUABHolding
Company
TechnicalBridge
Foundations
Ad hocCollaboarationAnd spin-outs
• Owned by the University• Arm length distance – no part of the Authority• Legal form = private company
• The Government decides the object in
the Articles of Associations
UUAB The Holding Company of Uppsala University
What have been done - Organizational structure
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005Liasion office
STUNS – Non-profit
university & society foundation
Science Park
UUABHolding
Company
CEFEntrepreneurialEducational Programs
Patent Office
ConnectPUB
meetings
UniversityLiasionCompany
VentureCup
UU Innovation
A WallChair
Key ActorsProgram
ÅMAMaterialAcademy
TechnicalBridge
Foundations
Ad hocCollaboarationAnd spin-outs
SHBPatentGrantsFoundation
UICBusinessIncubator
InnoventusLife ScienceVenture
DrivhusetStudentFoundation
What have been done- Processes
•Recruiting right people• Two-cultural
•Identify champions and relate• Researchers
• External network of entrepreneurs
•Traditional spin-out strategy• Start-ups, out licensing
•Collaborative research• Pro active approach
Three main processes
Stimulate entrepreneurship
– Mainly students
– Business idea in a known market
Commercialization of inventions
– Research results, new products & markets
Creation of business opportunities
– Collaborative research platforms
– between disciplines and with companies
Stimulate 1
CEF -Centre for Entrepreneurship
University centre to stimulate entrepreneurship
– The School of Entrepreneurship
• Last year program for science students
• Real industrial project + theory & seminaries
– Project Management for students
– Seminaries for PhD students and researchers
– Seminaries for small knowledge based companies
Stimulate 2
Drivhuset
Student non-profit organization
– Inspire and stimulate students
– Support entrepreneurship vs employed
– Seminaries, lectures and hands on
– 50 student based companies per year
Stimulate 3
Anders Wall's chair
Professor chair in entrepreneurship
– Donation by Anders Wall, famous
local entrepreneur
– Education and research
– Entrepreneurial Day
• Entrepreneurs Academy
• Niklas Zennström, founder of Skype
– Dollar billionair, Uppsala alumni
Top Class International
Research
Find Foster Forward
SecureVerify
Develope
UIC- Business Incubator
Start-Ups
Existing Company
Free Patent Supervisor
~ 150 discl/year
Projects (UUAB)
New CompanyInnoventus
Existing Company
FuelProfessional Project Management
UUAB
$
UUAB
$
UUAB
$$
$ $ VC $$$
Commercialization of research results
Disclosure process
Business Incubator
UIC
•We are business developers, not landlords
•Business coach 1 day / week
– Not for free, but pay when (if) you can
•UIC not an owner!
•Gives 7,9 times return on the tax investment!
UUABthe Holding Company
• > 500 disclosures
• > 50 start-ups
• Invested ~ 8 M€
• High value creation
UUAB value of portfolio (last price value, adjusted for new investments)
0,00
10,00
20,00
30,00
40,00
50,00
60,00
70,00
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
+ 63 MSEK already realized
UUAB Results (june 2007)
UUAB Invested 7,8 M€
Realized profit UUAB (exits) 6,7 M€
Value of portfolio ~ 7,7 M€
Running costs 3,3 M€
Net profit ~ 3,3 M€
Consequently investments ~ 128 M€
Generated University Incomes ~ 26 M€
Huge leverage for the University and the Society
Commercialization units
Uppsala University
A new entity
UU Innovation
Faculty & DepartmentsFaculty & Departments
Faculty & DepartmentsFaculty & Departments
Faculty & DepartmentsFaculty & Departments
Faculty & DepartmentsFaculty & Departments
UU Innovation
• Strategy• Partnership• IPR management• Business Law• Entrepreneurship• Innovation
Vice-Chancellor(President)
Vice PresidentVice President
Vice President
UUAB(Holding Company)
Forskarpatent(Patent Office)
UppsalaInnovation Centre
business incubator
One Manager
Society - the winner
Not always profitablefor the professor
for the university
for the Holding Company
Very profitable for the society
Gives valuable collaborations
Increases the competitiveness of the university
Never ever give up
“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm”-
Winston Churchill