USAID Global Workshop on Education and

Development: From Evidence to Action

EURECA: A Joint U.S.-Russian Approach to Commercializing

University Research

Dan E. Davidson

President

American Councils for International Education:

ACTR/ACCELS

August 22, 2011

EURECA: an innovation intermediary

Main goal:

Milestones

October 2010 – June 2011

Built three strong U.S.-Russia university partnerships based on long-term mutual interest

Key networks established with: governments, associations, investors; tech transfer, patent and IP experts; entrepreneurial ecosystems

Interconnectedness of strategic partnerships established with: AAU, ARU, the U.S.-Russian Bilateral Presidential Commission Education Sub-Working Group, ICHT, and the International Commercialization Alliance established

Keen attention on expansion: expert community expansion; legal issues of IP commercialization in Russia; actual technology commercialization; start-up incubation; broadening of university partnership networks

Engendered strong interest from other countries

Funding For 2-Year Partnership Modules

Russia

Co - financingUSRF funding

3.1 million 3.34 million

UNN - 1.5m Year 1 1.6m

ITMO - 1.6m Year 2 1.74m

2 Russian National Research Universities

University of Nizhny Novgorod

St. Petersburg University of Information Technology, Mechanics and Optics

4 modular projects – learning, piloting, and dissemination

3 US partner universities and association engagement

1. UNN – Purdue Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship

2. UNN – UMCP Center for Regional & International Cooperation in TT

3. ITMO – UCLA Enhancing Worldwide ITMO Innovative Capacity

4. ITMO – UCLA Cross-Atlantic Innovative Bridge for Russian

Innovations

Bilateral Approach

Cooperative US-Russia Management

American Councils and New Eurasia Foundation

Facilitate communication between partners

Integrate benchmarks, interim measurements, tracking of outputs, outcomes for Y1 activities; guide Y2 planning based on lessons learned

Introduce corrections/ additional expertise as needed

Provide key analysis for project funder

Track, facilitate, cultivate and manage key partnerships (MOES, NRUs, business); Cultivate inclusion of NRUs in key communities: AAU, ARU, AUTM, NASVF

Interface with broader audiences with regular updates on progress via press, social media, newsletters, Russia and US website

Support activity calendars, travel and logistics

U.S. International Russian

•AUTM

•NBIA

•NCET2

•NASVF

•Innovation America

•AAU

•International Commercialization Alliance

•AmCham

•USRBC

•FS2B

•AIRR

•RVC

•Skolkovo

•Rosnano

•NRUs

•ARU

•OPORA

•Russian Union of Young Scientists

Multi-institutional Approach

Module Activity - 2011

Mechanisms that are common across modules include:

Learning Case-study review, consulting by US experts, direct training, mentoring,

sharing of template documents, procedures, analysis of procedures; shadowing; mentoring; facilitated conference attendance, familiarization with research areas

Piloting Testing, adapting case-studies, focus-groups, consensus building

Dissemination Bilingual set of regulatory documents, recommendations on marketing and

investment approaches; and template deals structures, documents to support investor relations; Market research, sets of educational materials (“tech transfer in a box”); syllabi, curricula, presentations, case-study libraries, recommendations on structures, articles, manuals; connections made to U.S., Russian, and international communities

Center for Regional and International Cooperation

Center for networking with industry

(“MD Industrial Partnerships model”) Training courses for industry partners, developing enhancements for university-industry cooperation (START program)

External marketing strategy

Connecting with large and small regional businesses, attracting industry research to participate in university R&D, connecting with entrepreneurial and investor community.

University office for international cooperation in Tech Transfer and “Umbrella” system for tech transfer services

at university

Trained staff, IP publicized internationally, updated acts, regulations, and new agreements. Legal and operational basis, internal and external stakeholder management

UNN – UMCP

UNN – Purdue

Procedures and regulations, and infrastructurePolicies and guidelines that meet international standards (statutes, strategies, Center workplan, staffing, external relations mechanisms)

Student involvement Business competitions, forums, master classes, interactive resources

Enhanced educational programsFour entrepreneurship syllabi, innovation courses, faculty trainings

Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship

ITMO – UCLA

Modernized innovation infrastructure Technology Transfer Office on campus operating in accordance with international standards

Practices to manage ITMO IP for international applicationTriage, IP valuation, international patenting, use of case studies and legal materials development and distribution on campus

Enhancing Worldwide ITMO Innovative Capacity (EWIIC) *

Industry-standard system of international tech transferStructure of functions to support activity

Seed and venture capital know-howEstablished connections and integrated best practices to promote ITMO IP

Centralized marketing service for ITMOFunctional marketing services for researchers/ entrepreneurs, including structured student involvement

* Participation of relevant associations - National Association of Seed and Venture Funds, The Entrepreneurs Club, National Council for Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer, National Business Incubation Association, coordinated by American Councils

Cross-Atlantic Innovation Bridge (CAIB) *

1. EURECA is contributing to the development of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in two Russian regions

Equipped with tools to build entrepreneurial structures and seed entrepreneurial culture at its hubs. Strong interconnectedness of TTO with institutional departments and units, interdisciplinary approach to Tech Transfer at US partnering institutions relevant for NRUs in midst of reform and growth

Regional events/ programs co-organized by hubs (eg May 2011 “From Science to Business” in St. Petersburg by ITMO; MIPS of UMCP adapted for UNN) position ITMO and UNN as models for educational, governmental and private sector interactions

Project pulls in stakeholders from investment community and government, and professional associations that sustain and support an ecosystem

Accomplishments

2. EURECA leverages the mutual interests of governments, business and higher education

Endorsed by key U.S. and Russian private entities and governmental organizations

Addresses bilateral development interests

Aimed to integrate intellectual potential of Russia into international business. Russian private interests - angels, RVC, OPORA of Russia, Russian Union of Young Scientists and Skolkovo Foundation engaged

Engages policy, academic and practice communities

Accomplishments

3. EURECA has built a good reputation in the field

Trust is established among immediate partners (universities, associations) and stakeholder communities in Russia and the U.S. through delivery of high-caliber, relevant expertise.

EURECA furthers Russia’s goal of acquiring the know-how to lead global innovation

Larger NRU community, not current EURECA beneficiaries revealed strong interest in replicating the model

Accomplishments

4. EURECA is providing for a long-term sustained approach to Russian innovation

Systemic approach to enable sustainable development vs. short-term economic gains

US university partner demonstration of how contributing to public good can complement revenue generation through commercialization of university IP

Experts from US tech transfer associations have piqued Russian interest in how to systematically build and execute innovation-based economic development, as has been done in many regions of the U.S.

Accomplishments

5. EURECA is identifying and addressing chief barriers to development and cooperation

Legal and procedural barriers to Russian commercialization of IP, e.g., the effectiveness of Law 217 in its current form, disparate accounting norms inhibiting investment, poorly developed concepts and practices in Russia regarding conflict of interest, IP security and protection

EURECA is in a strong position to contribute to the resolution of these issues

Accomplishments

2010 activity

Program Launch and Module Development

Pre-launch workshop for NRUs, Moscow

AUTM training for select NRU staff, USA

EURECA Partner meetings and program launch, USA

US university site visits, USA

Two module development seminars at NRU hubs conducted

NRU modules summarized and clarified for US partners

Response proposals from US universities generated

Revised proposals submitted by NRUs to USRF

EURECA represented at association events

Russian Ministry of Education and Science seminar conducted for modular project presentation to EURECA stakeholders

2011 activityImplementation

US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission

Partner MOUs signed, grant agreements signed

University site visits, U.S. and Russia

Trainings in innovation-based economic development

U.S. university president – Russian rector meeting in April 2011

Template documents culled and shared

From Science to Business conference and high-level invitation-only supplement from EURECA

High-level meetings with Russian Venture Corporation, SkolkovoFoundation

Familiarization in U.S. with angel-student mentoring programs

Entrepreneurship curriculum developed

Industry roundtables to clarify university-industry cooperation models

AcronymsAIRR – Association of Innovation Regions of Russia

AmCham – American Chamber of Commerce

AUTM – Association of University Technology Managers

AAU – Association of American Universities

ARU – Association of Leading Russian Universities

EURECA – Enhancing University Research and Entrepreneurial Capacity

FS2B – From Science to Business (a Russia-based annual conference)

ICHT – U.S.-Russia Innovation Council on High Technologies

IP – Intellectual Property

ITMO – St. Petersburg University for Information Technologies, Mechanics, and Optics

Law 217 – Federal law of Russia enabling federally educational institutions to engage in commercialization of IP/ start-ups

MIPS – Maryland Industrial Partnerships

MOES – Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

NASVF – National Association of Seed and Venture Funds

NBIA – National Business Incubation Association

NCET 2- National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer

NRU – National Research University

OPORA RUSSIA - Russian Non-Governmental Organization for Small and Medium Entrepreneurship

RUSNANO – Russian Nanotechnology Corporation

RVC – Russian Venture Company – a Russian federal state fund of venture funds, JSC

Skolkovo Foundation – Russian initiative to support national innovation ecosystem

START – Russian federal program supporting entrepreneurs aiming to develop manufacturing of innovative products or services integrating the results of early stage research with high commercialization potential

TT – Technology Transfer

TTO – Technology Transfer Office

UCLA – University of California at Los Angeles

UMCP – University of Maryland at College Park

UNN – University of Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)

USRBC – US-Russia Business Council

USRF – US-Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law