Manthan Theme – Brain Gain : Promoting Research and Innovation

Research Commercialization Centers for synergistic confluence of policies

Team Details : Uday Bhardwaj Pooja Singh Kapil Suyal Renu Dahiya Tanuj Agrawal (IIT Roorkee )

In India, majority of the research expenditure is spent by Academic Institutes (nearly 70 %). Thus the pivotal position of Research in India is in the Academic Institutes.

Indian Scientists in Academic Institutes value blue‐sky research over application‐oriented research, they value publishing in a respected journal to patenting and commercializing their research.

Scientists are evaluated based on the number of journal papers they publish, number of PhD students they supervise and amount of external funding they bring in.

Thus, it is difficult to convince a scientist to dedicate his/her time to a risky technology‐based project that would take large chunks of their time and might or might not lead to commercialization.

Lack of transparent intra‐institutional policies on protection of intellectual property, technology transfer and commercialization do not encourage filing of patents and hinder commercialization efforts.

Problem Statement The major challenges faced by India Research Community has been narrowed down in the flowchart below :

Proposed Solutions

• Commercialization of research which could lead to parallel incentivizing structure of Entrepreneurial Activities, which will attract talent in the domain of research and will also prevent the migration of talented researchers to foreign lands. This incentivizing will add to the overall income which along with the interest of a person is a major determinant of career option.

• Strengthening university-industry programs by means of matching grants and other initiatives, including encouraging academics to spend sabbaticals in relevant industries so that their research meets the needs of the productive sector.

• Allowing national research institutes to collaborate with domestic and foreign firms to forge closer links with industry. One way of encouraging scientists to work closely with industry and in so doing improving linkages between technology development and application would be to provide incentives such as bonuses and a share of royalties from products created through their research.

• Developing entrepreneurial skills and management training for S&T professionals to encourage them to undertake business activities.

• Encouraging venture capital, which can also be used as an incentive for commercialization of research.

• Effective enforcement and implementation of IPR to build confidence in domestic and foreign innovators on protection of their innovations in the country.

• Motivating scientists and engineers from India, working in the United States and other developed countries to enter into alliances with multinational companies and establish firms or labs to undertake R&D on a contract basis in India.

• The action plan focuses on creating a Research Commercialization Centre, under National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board.

• The RCC is a model to restructure STEP (Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park), Technology Business Incubators and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre.

• It also includes creation of Students’ Technology Entrepreneurship Cell.

• The body encompasses the functions as discussed below :

Model

RCC

STEP

TBI

IEDC

STEC

• Creating a body to implement above suggestion and synergize the existing infrastructure, policies and institutional efforts.

• Giving the body flexibility, freedom of operation, and financial autonomy. The body is expected to leverage from the existing policies.

• The proposed model synergizes the existing polices and build on the institutions and infrastructure present in the Research Campuses

Fig. 1 – Synergistic Framework

NSTEDB

Alumni Network

Professors and

Students

Institute

Implementation of Solution

Fig. 1 – Stakeholders Involved

• Institute – The institute will provide the infrastructural facilities, viz. Office Space, Electricity and other operational amenities.

• NSTEDB – It provides for training and recruitment of middle and junior level employees. Their salaries and other benefits are also provided by them.

• Alumni Network - The network of the alumni from the IIT’s includes Industry Heads, Venture Capitalists and eminent researchers. The industry heads are in a constant look for research which could be commercialized and converted to market ready products. The VC’s and other successful entrepreneurs will get a once stop repository of promising research which could be commercialized.

• Professors and Students – They will provide the research which could be commercialized. The students will also be involved in Students’ Technology Entrepreneurship Cell for promoting research in India among the undergraduates and will involve them in existing start-ups of the professors.

RCC will be headed by 6 member board, including Dean Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy of Parent Institute, Innovation Pocket representative from NSTEDB. Other members include a senior Professor, Alumni Board Representative, Managing Director of the RCC and student Secretary of STEC

• 7 Innovation Pockets led by 7 old IIT’s

• The Scientific Institutes in an Innovation Pocket enjoys the services provided by the RCC of that respective IIT

• Pockets designated on the basis of ease in reach and demographic similarity.

• The RCC caters the need of innovations in all the fields including Agriculture, Grass root Innovations which have an oprospect for commercialization.

IIT Delhi

IIT Mumbai IIT Kharagpur

IIT Guwahati

IIT Roorkee

IIT Chennai

IIT Kanpur

7 Innovation Pockets

Why IIT’s ? • IIT’s play a leading role in research

domain of India. • IIT’s have already established

infrastructure for establishment of RCC. • IIT’s have Operational Centres of other

government schemes like TIFAC, Patent Facilitating Centre, TIASN, TePP Outreach Centres and other policies.

• Active Student and Alumni Community

Identification

Submission of Research Achievements by Professors, students and independent innovators alike.

The submission will be selected by the expert panel comprising the Senior professor, VC representative, market analysts in a fortnightly meeting.

Development

Developing the selected research into a prototype.

The capital for development of the prototype will either be raised from various government schemes like TePP or will be provided from the NSTEDB fund.

Action Plan and monitoring will be done by middle management of RCC.

Pitch

Making the Business Plan with the assistance from Expert Panel and the resources of existing TBI.

Pitching the idea to the prospective VC’s among the alumni network and other invited VC’s or

Pitching the idea to Industries for sell out of the research.

Start up

If successful, the institute will provide the initial infrastructure for establishing the start – up including the office space. RCC will provide the utilities for Business Management including legal and clerical staff.

Functional Framework

Seed Fund

NSTEDB

Parent Institute

Industry or VC

Promoters Capital

The seed fund for the start up will be generated from: • NSTEDB – 20 % • Parent Institute – 10 % • Industry or VC – 40 % or above • Promoters Capital – 10 to 30 % *The Industry and Promoters Capital is subject to the mutual agreement.

Equity in Start-ups

Parent Institute

Equity 5 %

The Parent Institute receives 5 % of the capital generated in the sell out of research to an Industry.

In a start – up, 5 % of the equity.

The revenue generated from the Equity will be utilized in the establishment and maintenance of the proposed Technology Entrepreneurship Park in the long run.

NSTEDB VC and Researcher

Equity 10 %

The NSTEDB receives 10 % of the capital generated in the sell out of research to an Industry.

In a start – up, 10 % of the equity.

The revenue generated from the Equity will be utilized in sustaining the operations of RCC.

Equity 85%

This will be distributed as per the mutual agreement which was forged in consultation of the expert panel and mutual consent .

RCC

Dean SRIC

Technology Entrepreneurship

Park

Innovation Pocket Representative

NSTEDB Managing Director

Middle Management

Employees, Clerks and Junior Staff

Expert Panel of current TBI

Alumni Board Representative

VC and Industry Network

Senior Professor Student Secretary,

STEC

STEC Team

Functional Hierarchy of RCC and Operational Cost

Operational Cost

NSTEDB

Parent Institute - Kick Backs from Start-ups

• Annual Cost involved in establishment of one RCC = 1.56 Crore

• Establishment of 7 such RCC requires 10.92 crores

• The break up of the cost has been shown in next slide

Team

Fu

nd

ing

Req

uir

ed

Organizational Cost

Managing Director = 12 Lakhs p/a

Middle Management = 8*6 Lakhs p/a

Employees, Junior Staff and Clerk = 16 *4 Lakhs p/a

Infrastructure and Logistics

Transport = 168 man visits * 6000 = 100800 p/a

Infrastructure Maintenance and Utility = 15 Lakhs p/a

Miscellaneous Expenditure= 2 Lakhs p/a

Remuneration to Expert Panel

7 Expert Committee 24 meetings =

168 man days * 3ooo = 5,0400 p/a

Operational Cost Details

* All amounts in Indian Rupees

Impacts • Creation of self sustaining Research

Commercialization Centres with the help of the equity from the established start – ups.

• Strengthening Industry – Academia Linkages.

• Growth in investments from Alumnis, Venture Capitalists in Technology Start –ups.

• Promoting Research culture in the students via STEC.

• Accountability to the Model due to participation of student member in the functioning of the board.

• On successful operation of proposed model, more Innovation Pockets under the leadership of other premier institutes can be initiated.

Challenges • Creation of synergistic framework for

implementation of RCC is difficult to achieve.

• Difficulty in receiving the capital investment from Venture Capitalists and Industries.

• Involvement of multiple stakeholders in a single body.

Mitigation Factors • Majorly, the policies to be synergized are

operational under Department of Science and Technology. Thus, STEP, TBI and IEDC can be brought together by intervention by a single Government arm.

• The Alumni network in IIT’s is strong, more incentives can be given to strengthen these bonds using Conferences like PanIIT.

• Giving the body flexibility, freedom of operation, and financial autonomy can make the body functional.

Impact, Challenges and Mitigating Factors

• National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).

• India Year Book 2013

• UNESCO Institute of Statistics

• Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 (India)

• EFY Report

• Research Report on “Five keys to improving research costing in low- and middle income countries”

References