The University as an Innovative Platform for the Region

Carlos Pascoal Neto, Vice-Rector

November 21, 2013

•The beginning and the challenge

• Brief overview of UA, today

• UA as an innovative platform for the Region• Major UA interface units and stakeholders involved• Some projets and results

• ICT as successful example of university-business cooperation in the Region

summary

The Beginning and the Challenge

the beginning and the challenge

UA created in 1973, initially within the facilities of a company (Portugal Telecom)

The challenge:• To become an innovative university, open to society, tackling the major issues of the Region• Lack of scientific knowledge and technology on traditional industries (ceramics, forestry, agro-food …)• Emerging technologies in the Region (ICT) – Aveiro, the cradle of telecommunications in Portugal • Environmental and marine sciences (geographical location, lagoon, sea)

the beginning and the challenge

• Strong interaction with industry and the local authorities / government• the early implementation of the triple helix, innovative approach in Portugal • DNA of the University of Aveiro

• Pioneering education programme, oriented to economy and societal needs in the Region

• ICT, environmental and marine sciences, ceramics and materials … supported by strong programmes in basic sciences• Teachers training• Innovative education programmes (PBL, Technological specialization degrees, offered in a delocalized way in the Region, by our Polytechnic Schools)

The University of Aveiro, Today

2013 rankings

Best portuguese young university - position 66 in the Times Higher Education ranking for universities with less than 50 years

Best portuguese university - position 315 in the ranking of the Leiden University

Positions in NTU world ranking: Fields: Engineeering (173), Agriculture (294)Areas: Materials (114, 20th in Europe), Mechanical Engineering (131), Maths (144), Chemical Engineering (161), Chemistry (194), Environment/Ecology (233), Agricultural Sciences (247), Civil Engineering (269),

a distinctive organisation

young (1973), innovative – education, research, cooperation, tech transfer

Comprehensive university, but with focus on science and technology

binary system, no faculties – 15 000 students, 1000 teaching staff, 100 researchers, 260 postdocs, 1300 PhD students

•University (16 Departments)

•Polytechnic schools (since 1997, 4 schools)

Public foundation with private law

Yearly budget ~ 100 M€

polytechnic schools Health School Águeda School of Technology and Management Aveiro Institute of Accounting and Administration School of Design, Management and Production Technologies

engineering› Electronics and Telecommunications › Environment and Planning › Ceramics and Glass Engineering› Mechanical Engineering› Civil Engineering

education

› Sciences of Education

science› Chemistry› Biology› Physics› Mathematics› Earth Sciences

› Health Sciences

others

› Languages and Cultures

› Media and Arts

› Social and Political Sciences

› Economics, Management

and Industrial Engineering

departments and schools

a comprehensive university with focus on science and technology

excelling in research

• evaluation by international boards• 83% scored as excelent or very good

18 Research units (4 Associate Laboratories)

top 10 subject areas for papers published in 2012

MATERIALS SCIENCE MULTIDISCIPLINARYENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESCHEMISTRY PHYSICALCHEMISTRY MULTIDISCIPLINARYPHYSICS APPLIEDMATHEMATICS APPLIEDPHYSICS CONDENSED MATTERBIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGYNANOSCIENCE NANOTECHNOLOGYMARINE FRESHWATER BIOLOGY

esan

cspt estgaessua

isca

bio csfis qui geo decade

civilmec

deti

dlcmatcv degei

dao

cesam

cbc cidtff clc cidmacipesgovcopp

id+

inet-md

qopna

cetac.mediaciceco

iti3n

temageobiotecieeta

unimem

nokia-siemens pt-inovação

Departments

Research Centres

matrix structure

publications – benchmarking Portugal

excelling in research

The University as an Innovative Platform for the Region

The Aveiro Innovation and Entrepreneurial EcossystemUniversity – Business – Public Administration (municipalities)

cooperation with municipalities and the Region

• Regional development programmes with local authorities (2014-2020 strategic plan, smart specialization strategy, thinking the Region together)• Polytechnic schools and technological specialisation degrees (1,5 years, on job training) • Public understanding of science (Science Factory ...), promotion of culture• Involvement in most regional and national business clusters• Regional incubators network, Science Park

AVEIRO

AGUEDA

Ol. de AZEMÉIS

Ovar S. J. da Madeira

Vagos

A. a Velha

Estarreja

Cantanhede

technology transfer office (UATEC)

protecting intelectual property

promoting entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurship courses in BSc, MSc and doctoral degrees

• “Non curricular”, “hand on” entrepreneurship programmes • Tech Based Entrepreneurship programme (CEBT) – entrepreneurs

(students, researchers, professors) explore processes/technologies belonging to UA intelectual property portfolio (partners: UC, UBI, CEC)

• Entrepreneurship Laboratory (LabE) – entrepreneurs explore their own ideas / projects

• Poliempreende – entrepreneurship competition for polytechnic schools• Aveiro Empreendedor (with Aveiro City and the Region)• Erasmus for young entrepreneurs

university incubator (IEUA)

• An incubator (IEUA) with a unique “incubation programme” supporting the entrepreneurial projects and the growing and consolidation of start-up companies

• Companies created by academia members, within the UA entrepreneurial programme

incubating companies

Total number of incubated companies

Number of jobs Turnover of the companies

*Forecasts for Dez 31 2014

university incubator (IEUA)

promoting entrepreneurship in the region

a “single distributed incubator” in several municipalities of the region of Aveiro

promoting and developing local entrepreneurial policies partnership with the 11 Aveiro Region municipalities association (CIRA) and Aveiro Industrial Association (AIDA)

science and innovation park (creative science park)

• A innovation hub, on the neighborhood of multidisciplinary scientific knowledge and technology source, boosting entrepreneurship dynamics and regional wealth creation, in close cooperation with the regional incubator and the municipal industrial development areas

• A privileged location, adjacent to the University of Aveiro (in green) and easy access to major highways - A17 and A25.

• A Region project but internationally oriented

• 19 stakeholders: UA, 2 municipalities and CIRA (association of municipalities of Aveiro Region) 5 institutional partners, 2 banks, 8 companies

• 5 thematic areas – expertise at UA, Smart Specialization Strategies for Aveiro region

Clusters

Reg

ion

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ati

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Netw

ork

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Inte

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nal N

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Energy Agro-industry

ICT and Electronics

MaterialsSea

R&D and training competences

science and innovation park (creative science park)

• business incubation• hosting of established knowledge intensive companies companies• shared laboratories and infrastructures• support services to innovation (internationalization, soft landing ...)• design factory• Technology platforms (R&D, consultancy, tarining) – Sea Economy, agro-food industry, molding and plastic industries ...

science and innovation park (creative science park)

university-business liaison office (GUE)

• promotes the skills and services (portfolio) of Aveiro University, outside• the companies entrance door for all resources at UA, and the hub connecting market needs, UA interface and research units and researchers

A single portefolio for Skills and Services, useful to companies – “UA Empresas”printed version and online database http://portefolio.ua.pt/)

(soon an English version)

ICT: a successful example of university-business cooperation

Going back to the UA cradle : ICT

Cooperation between UA/IT and Portugal Telecom Inovação (PTi):

• 4.8 M€ of Technology Transfer Contracts with UA/IT, leading to products and services to the market•140 M€ of external funding in R&DI joint projects• >100 peer reviewed scientific publications• 4 joint patents• more than 200 PTi permanent staff (~1/2 of total staff) are UA alumni

ICT: a successful example of university-business cooperation

Other initiatives and projects

• “Aveiro Digital” project: e-governance, quality of life of citizens …• Creation of about 40 ICT based start-ups, mostly located in the Region• Creation of a ICT focused business association (INOVARIA), where part of CEOs/staff are UA Graduates: >60 associates, 365 M€ annual turnover • Aveiro: headquarter on the national ICT industrial cluster TICE.PT

• UA Campus houses major R&D ICT companies

• PT Inovação (IT)• Nokia Solutions (150 engineers, IT)• Sapo (20 grant holders, 150 students)

The University of Aveiro as a centre for education and innovation, a trigger and driving force for regional development and wealth creation.