TITLE

Manuel V. Heitor

CENTER FOR INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY RESEARCH, IN+

Instituto Superior Tecnico Lisbon, PORTUGAL

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND VIRTUAL TEAMING:

challenges and opportunities for the Research University

OBJECTIVES

To discuss university programs aimed to promote

entrepreneurial capacities

and to develop and strengthen

group capabilities

through the establishment of learning networks

Key Components of the Experiments

Learning A set of formal and informal processes and practices, strongly influenced by the environment, that lead to knowledge accumulation

Challenge How to promote learning that links diverse social actors with different degrees of development

Perspective Universities

Mechanisms Networks linking people in order to increase their ability to learn

• PROCESSES: complex and diversified

• INVESTMENT: education; R&D; learning-by-doing

• AGENTS: state, firms, universities, schools

KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION

Creation and distribution

of knowledge

Economic growth and

development

Technological innovation

and development

KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION

Wealth generation results from knowledge accumulation …

… Science & technology is the driving force !

•The evidence:

•The key points:

Innovation

Internationalisation

ECONOMIC

GROWTH

LEARNINGRESEARCH

Romer (1990) and

Grossman andHelpman (1991)

Arrow (1962)Romer (1986)

BY-DOINGBY-DOING

Lucas (1988)EDUCATION

THE NEW THEORIES OF

ECONOMIC GROWTH

• The learning ability is the critical aspect for economic growth, and is associated to the skill of

assimilating and transforming the current knowledge.

• “Learning refers to building new competencies and establishing new skills and not just to get

access to information”, Lundvall (1997).

On the economic understanding of KNOWLEDGE

• The process of continuous learning reflects

on the accumulation and the creation of new

knowledge, which is considered as

technological change

• Technological change is endogenous to the

economy

THE VISION - 1:

TECHNOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION THROUGH

HUMAN CAPITAL

Technological capacity

Technological accumulation

(learning)

The resources needed to generate and manage technical change

(1) Knowledge, skills and experience

(2) Institutional structures and linkages in firms and outside firms

Technicalchange

(a) Introduction of technology embodied in new products and/or new plants through “major” projects.

(b) Incremental adaptation and improvement of existing production capacity

Production capability

Components of given production systems

• Fixed capital

• Operating labour skils and know-how

• Input specs

• Organization and procedures of production

Industrial output

towards the LEARNING SOCIETY

How to use effectively

knowledge?

How to use effectively

knowledge?

- The key issue:- Moving beyond access to capability

• The requirements- Individual learning - developing people’s skills- collective learning - networks and organizations

• The levels of learning partnerships- Learning communities (citizenships, initiatives)- Learning clusters (ex.: Barcelona, SP, Sinos Valley, BE) * network entrepreneurs- Learning nations (ex. Malaysia 2020; El Salvador 2021)

SOFTWARE

WETWARE

NODE D

SOFTWARE

WETWARE

NODE LD

S OFTWARE

WETWARE

NODE MLD

what kind of NETWORK?

•A learning network that leads to self-reinforcing learning cycles (interactive model)

• Universities as agents that actively link participating people and firms in a web of knowledge sharing, production, usage, and diffusion

THE QUESTIONHow can universities foster innovation and the creation of

new business and jobs, helping to transform

organizations to address the challenges of the emerging

economy?

• New challenges to universities within the knowledge-based economy

• Need to go beyond traditional activities

• the development, transfer and commercialization of new technologies

• the need to preserve the university’s institutional integrity

Issues:

CHALLENGES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION - 1

• THE LINKS TO SOCIETY

- life-long learning

- informal learning processes

• INSTITUTIONAL REFORM - the need to preserve “institutional integrity” - the structural roles of “teaching” and “research” public investment

• THE CHALLENGE OF EXCELLENCE:

- the need for diversification ?

- the emergence of new areas, and multidisciplinarity

CHALLENGES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION - 2

• The policy: promote DIVERSIFIED SYSTEMS

1. “formal learning” - teaching

- research: R&D; R&T;R&L

2. “informal learning”

Questions: - changes in the structure of the employment market - learning ability towards a sustainable societal development

The issue: “EDUCATION” as knowledge for understanding “TRAINING” as knowledge for value

CHALLENGES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION - 3

informal learning processes, “-by-living”:

1. towards SUSTAINABLE UNIVERSITIES

concepts: - the experience economy, Pine&Gilmore(1999)

- industrial ecology

2. Learning as reflected in ENTREPRENEURSHIP

- the regional dimension

- the need for further research ...

… to promote entrepreneurial skills in a global environment, through the integration of:

• specific technical training

• experimentation

• interaction

establishing links between students with

different backgrounds and in different regions.

TOWARDS NEW PROGRAMS...

ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION

Reactive attitudeReactive attitude

learnlearnAcquire

knowledgeAcquire

knowledge

apprehendapprehend

Develop new capacities, through experiencing

Develop new capacities, through experiencing

entrepreneurshipentrepreneurship

Use and create knowledge

Use and create knowledge

Technology spin-offsTechnology spin-offs

Group capacitiesIndividual competencies

Pro-active attitude

“OPEN UNIVERSITY”

Information technologies and... FLEXIBLE LEARNING...

TRADITIONALSCHOOL

FLEXIBLELEARNING

The same space

different times

Different spaces

same instant

Information Technologies and"Virtual Teaming"

Collocated Cross-OrganizationalCollocated

Distributed

Same Different

ORGANIZATION

Same

SPACETIME

DifferentDistributed

Cross-Organizational

Technology enabled learning (…?)

The concept: any time / any place

fully distributed

The tools: televideoconferencing

net meetings

ICQ

The question: up to which extent ?

1. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND VIRTUAL TEAMING IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION

CASE STUDIES

a program developed at: IC2 INSTITUTE, Austin, USA ITESM, Monterrey, MX IST, Lisbon, PT

2. ON THE DESIGN OF FREE-FORM, COMPLEX PRODUCTS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

a case study on the design of a glass chair developed at: MIT, Boston, USA IST, Lisbon, PT

SOME CONCLUSIONS...

THE CONCEPT: the learning skill is the creative factor for economic development.

THE CHALLENGE: to promote the valorisation of human and intellectual capital, in a context favourable to innovation and wealth creation, where learning networks assume a critical role

THE TOOL: global networking through collaborative learning

and virtual teaming

… debate

1. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND VIRTUAL TEAMING IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION

a program developed at: IC2 INSTITUTE, Austin, USA ITESM, Monterrey, MX IST, Lisbon, PT

CASE 1

NTBFs: characteristics and requirementsTypical characteristics: commercial and technological risks

limited guaranties

uncertain profitability

lack of cash flow

lack of business and venture culture

Their development and growth requires specific knowledge and instruments:

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES ENTREPRENEURIAL CAPABILITIES RISK and DIVERSIFIED FINANCING PRODUCTS ACCESS TO INTERNATIONALISATION CHANNELS

THE LEARNING PHASES•Acquisition and development of technical competencies

….the processes of S&T commercialisation

•Acquisition and development of instrumental competencies

….entrepreneurial capacity

•Experiencing entrepreneurial realities

•Living and understanding the challenges of internationalisation

PROGRAM CONTENTS

1. TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

2. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY PLAN

3. BUSINESS PLAN

PHASE 1: TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

•Understanding the entire technology commercialization

process;

•Develop the ability to assess a technology for its

commercial value.

The issues:

PHASE 1: TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

The context:

regional, national, and global

The methods:•quick look assessment

•in-depth technology assessment

PHASE 1: TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT some technologies

•DNA “Typing” - Multiplex Polymorphism Analysis by Flow Cytometry for

High Throughput Screening (Los Alamos National Lab)

•Glass Furnace Monitoring and Control (IST)

•Fiber-Optic Distribution of Pulsed Power to Multiple Sensors (NASA)

•Remote Monitoring via Internet - RMI (IST)

•Competitiveness Intelligence Network Proporal (ITESM)

•Environmentally-Friendly Brick Production (Los Alamos National Lab)

•VRaptor: Assault Planning, Training or Rehearsal (Sandia National Lab)

PHASE 1: TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT planning firm start-up

IDEACOMPANY

FORMATIONPRODUCT

DEVELOPMENT

PROFITABLEOPERATIONS& GROWTH

A B

PHASE 1: TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT planning firm start-up: PHASE A

IDEA COMPANYFORMATION

WHAT’S NEEDED?Intellectual Property Protection Introduction to Investors

Company Conceptualization Seed Capital

Management Team Legal Advice

Business Plan Office Space

PHASE 1: TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT How to protect Intellectual Property?

Industrial Property:

• utility patents

• trademarks

• designs

• service marks

• trade secrets

Copyrights:

• literary works

• computer programs

• multimedia works

• audiovisual works

• informational databases

• authored works

Is IPP compatible with the emergence of the Knowledge Based Society?

PHASE 1: TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT planning firm start-up: PHASE B

COMPANYFORMATION

PRODUCTDEVELOPMENT

WHAT’S NEEDED?

Labs

Money

Staff

Management Guidance

Business Development

PHASE 2: BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY PLAN

The issues:

Creation and length of opportunity

Real and perceived value of opportunity

Risk and returns of opportunity

Opportunity versus personal skills and goals

Competitive situation

PHASE 3: BUSINESS PLAN

CONTENTS:

Introduction

Executive Summary

Industry Analysis

Description of Venture

Production Plan

Marketing Plan

Organization Plan

Assessment of Risk

Financial Plan

Appendices

Seed capital

Venture capital Mezzanine LMBO

Start-up Development-Capital Stock Exchange

Technological and commercial uncertainty

Venture capital market Share holders

Private informal investors Intervention of banks

Financial needs

Time in years

Sales

Results

Amount

Uncertainty

RD

Feasibility Creation Growth Development Maturity

The process of firm development

Family, Friends and Fools

Business Angels

Seed

Risk Capital

Commercial Banks

Stock Market

Investment Funds

Stages of enterprises’ development

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VENTURE CAPITAL

Start-up DevelopmentGrowth Maturity

High

Low

Lev

el o

f In

vest

ors

’ Ris

ks

A case study…1

Commercialising BIOTECHNOLOGY

…. BIOTECNOL, in LISBON, Portugal

A case study…2

Commercialising

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

CRITICAL SOFTWARE in Coimbra, Portugal

MAJOR CHALLENGES:

Different cultures

Different time-zones

Complex communication technology

Lack of basic teaming skills

On the internationalisation of “NEW TECHNOLOGY-BASED FIRMS”

CASE 2

2. ON THE DESIGN OF FREE-FORM, COMPLEX PRODUCTS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

a case study on the design of a glass chair developed at: MIT, Boston, USA IST, Lisbon, PT

The ProjectDesign and Construction of a Glass Chair

A complex product, requiring

particular safety precautions,

careful handling,

and specific production expertise

Challenges:

Opportunities: Allows the creation of free forms,

promoting the development of new skills

“Solving all the functional problems is an intellectual exercise. That is a different part of my brain. It's not less, it's just different. And I make a value out of solving all those problems, dealing with the context and the client and finding my moment of truth after I understand the problem”

Frank Gehry

Architecture

Technology

Engineering

DESIGN for the KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY

What role for a Technical University?

… Multidisciplinary orientation,

diversified environments!

…aimed to build new capacities,

able to create and use new knowledge

Complex Product Design: Capabilities Development

Design Development Capabilities

ProductionCapabilities

Design ProcessDevelopment

ProductionExperience

Knowledge Requiredfor Design Process Development

Knowledge about Production Problems

and Conditions

Learning before Doing Learning by Doing

Capabilities Required for Production

New Process Technology

"...we see the balance of work shifting

from stable, physically collocated functions

to dynamic, competency-based,

electronically collocated bussiness networks:

virtual teams that create value

by synthesizing information and knowledge across geographies and organizations.”

Metes, G. http://www.knowab.co.uk/wbwvirt.html,

99/04/20

The Project ImplementationMIT-Boston (USA)

Architecture students

Free-Form Design

IST-Lisbon (Portugal)

Civil Engineering Students

Structural Analysis

Mechanical Enginnering Students

Product Development

Product Liability and Safety

Mould Production and Glass Slumping Process

PHASE 1: design

Design Specification

Analysis

Structural safety

Construction Restraints

Design Optimization

COMPUTER SIMULATION

PHASE 2: mold design and construction

Design Specification

Analysis

in-furnace operation

Design Optimization

Construction

PHASE3: construction

Glass preparation

Furnace operation

Glass forming process

Glass cooling

Conclusion