The 2012 Annual InterTradeIreland Innovation Conference will take place at NUI Galway from 12-13 June. The free event will focus on a theme highly pertinent in the currently economic climate ‘Exploiting Industry and University Research, Development and Innovation: Why it Matters’. The Conference aims to provide practical insights into how businesses, academics and policy makers on the island of Ireland can best exploit industry-university research, development and innovation to best effect in context of our economic recovery.

Dr James Cunningham, Director of the Institute for Business, Social Sciences and Public Policy at NUI Galway states: “Innovation management is moving towards an open innovation model with industry, universities and governments collaborating to support scientific development and economic development. Over the last decade Ireland has increased its scientific capacity through public funding of science and technology. The open innovation model is being adopted by more industries and this poses significant strategic and operational challenges for companies, large and small. This Conference will explore how best companies can respond to these significant changes in research, development and innovation.”

The Keynote Speaker is Professor Donald Siegel, Dean of the School of Business and Professor of Management at the University at Albany, State University of New York, USA. He has spent his career building knowledge and expertise on issues relating to university technology transfer and entrepreneurship, the effects of corporate governance on economic performance, productivity analysis, and corporate and environmental social responsibility. He serves as President of the Technology Transfer Society in the US and was recently ranked Number 2 in the world for academic research on university entrepreneurship.

According to Professor Siegel: “In recent years, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the commercialization of intellectual property at universities. A concomitant trend has been a substantial rise in university-industry research partnerships, often with that same goal in mind. I will present some lessons learned for managers and policymakers who are interested in stimulating academic entrepreneurship and managing university-industry partnerships more effectively.  If you are interested in learning about ‘best practices’ in university technology commercialization, you should attend this conference.”

In the packed two-day conference programme, a number of business leaders and academic experts from both sides of the border will explore why the exploitation of industry and university-based research, development and innovation is crucial to the development of a sustainable economy. Delegates will also hear the results of cutting-edge research into innovation and entrepreneurship that is being undertaken in our third level institutions across the island.

Aidan Gough, Strategy and Policy Director for InterTradeIreland said: “InterTradeIreland’s focus is on SMEs and ensuring they can access all the resources needed to engage in innovation. Open innovation is often seen as the preserve of larger firms however, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can also adopt open innovation strategies through involvement in innovation partnerships and networks. Such companies need help to gain access to external knowledge, draw on alternative pathways to bring ideas to market, provide greater access to innovation capabilities and increase speed to market. This event provides those same businesses with these opportunities by allowing them to connect with a wider variety of relevant expertise both on the island and internationally.”

 The Conference will be of interest to business leaders and senior managers in businesses across all industry sectors including public, private and the third sector including anyone with a responsibility for the strategic development of a business or organisation. The first day of the Conference (12 June) will be of particular interest to academic researchers with an interest in tech transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Conference is part of the InterTradeIreland’s All-Island Innovation Programme which aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island of Ireland. It brings international expertise in innovation to Queen’s University Belfast, NUI Galway, University College Dublin and University College Cork. Best international practice is shared with business leaders, academics, students, knowledge transfer professionals and policy makers in each region via innovation conferences, lectures, seminars and master classes. The All-Island Innovation Programme is delivered in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast, National University of Ireland, Galway, University College Dublin and University College Cork. For more information on the InterTradeIreland All Island Innovation Programme visit www.intertradeireland.com/all-island-innovation-programme

The two-day Conference takes place at the Institute for Business, Social Sciences and Public Policy, NUI Galway on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 June 2012. For more information and to register online to attend this FREE event, visit www.conference.ie and follow the link to the InterTradeIreland Annual Innovation Conference.

A Twitter Hashtag has been setup so that conference delegates can share their thoughts on the day: #aiiconf2012

-ends-