Malcolm Butler

1
MNT in Yorkshire Humberside Bringing together
commercially focused RD and delivery routes to
market

• Malcolm Butler
• PhD, MSc(Eng), MBA, BSc(Hons), CEng, MIMMM
• Micro- Nanotechnology Manager
• Yorkshire Forward

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Contents

• Strategy/concept
• What weve done already
• What we plan to do

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Yorkshire Forward MNT Strategy

• YF MNT Programme allocated 5m to regional MNT
  organisations in Dec 2004
• Two components
• Commercially focussed RD(encouragement of
  technology push)
• Overcoming barriers to commercialisation
  (encouragement of market pull)

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Moving forward
The aim is to encourage inclusive working across
the region, raising the profile and prospects of
this important field
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Overcoming Barriers to Commercialisation

• To work with the research and training expertise
  and relevant industry within the Yorkshire
  Humber region to
• 1) Strategic view of investment to date 5m
• 2) Strategic recommendations regarding best
  practice
• To optimise research pipeline with commercial
  potential
• To benefit academic and commercial activities

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Overcoming Barriers to Commercialisation

• To work with the research and training expertise
  and relevant industry within the Yorkshire
  Humber region to
• 3) Industrial liaison/marketing stimulation of
  new opportunities
• Industry understanding their needs and
  highlighting opportunities
• Universities to stimulate new ideas and generate
  funding
• Both stimulation of new opportunities for
  collaboration
• 4) Represent YF on UK MNT Network and globally

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Barriers to Commercialisation of New Technologies

• Academic Barriers
• Industrial Barriers
• Funding Barriers

8
Components
Particles
Polymers
Characterisation
New Technologies
Market Applications
Facilities Expertise
Product Process Development
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Contents

• Strategy/concept
• What weve done already
• www.mntforum.com (see YF under regional section)
• What we plan to do

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Linking RD excellence to industry
Biomaterials Tissue Engineering CICUniversity
of Leeds
Particle Science Engineering CICUniversity of
Leeds
Materials Analysis Research Services
CICSheffield Hallam University
Green Chemistry CICUniversity of York
utilise existing infrastructure of 14 Centres
for Industrial Collaboration
Pharmaceutical Innovation CIC University of
Bradford
Polymer CICUniversity of Bradford
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• Build on the respected academic capability in the
  region and promote this to industry
• NanoFactory and NanoManufacturing Institute
• International Centre for Micro- and
  Nano-Moulding
• York-JEOL Centre for Nanofabrication and
  Analysis
• Polymer IRC and Sheffield Polymer Centre
• Centre for Precision Technology

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• Six key areas of world class MNT expertise
• NanoFactory and NanoManufacturing Institute
  (Leeds)
• Nanoparticles, fibres and composites
• E.g. production of nanoparticles and application
  into composites such as shin pads and composite
  automotive parts

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• Six key areas of world class MNT expertise
• NanoFactory and NanoManufacturing Institute
  (Leeds)
• Nanoparticles, fibres and composites
• E.g. production of nanoparticles and application
  into composites such as shin pads and composite
  automotive parts
• International Centre for Micro- and
  Nano-Moulding (Bradford)
• Volume production of micro-devices and
  nano-features
• E.g. 0.00034g gear blank and channels for
  microfluidics

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• Six key areas of world class MNT expertise
• York-JEOL Centre for Nanofabrication and Analysis
  (York)
• Nanolithography, electron microscopy and
  magnetics
• E.g. sub-atomic resolution TEM and Dual Column
  Focused Ion Beam miller (FIB) capability

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• Six key areas of world class MNT expertise
• York-JEOL Centre for Nanofabrication and Analysis
  (York)
• Nanolithography, electron microscopy and
  magnetics
• E.g. sub-atomic resolution TEM and Dual Column
  Focused Ion Beam miller (FIB) capability
• Centre for Precision Technology (Huddersfield)
• Precision Coordinate Metrology, nano-scale
  surface metrology, and ultra precision
  manufacturing
• E.g. surfaces for medical implants and
  quantitative characterisation of MEMS and silicon
  wafer devices

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• Six key areas of world class MNT expertise
• Polymer IRC and Sheffield Polymer Centre
• (Leeds, Bradford, Durham Sheffield)
• Soft nanotechnology, smart materials and
  biomimetic materials
• E.g. drug delivery and substrates for tissue
  engineering
• E.g. plastic electronic materials (LEDs) and
  devices (transistors)

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• Six key areas of world class MNT expertise
• Polymer IRC and Sheffield Polymer Centre
• (Leeds, Bradford, Durham Sheffield)
• Soft nanotechnology, smart materials and
  biomimetic materials
• E.g. drug delivery and substrates for tissue
  engineering
• E.g. plastic electronic materials (LEDs) and
  devices (transistors)
• Kroto Research Institute (Sheffield)
• Multi-disciplinary nanotechnology research base
  combining electronic nanotechnology (III/IV),
  nanocharacterisation and nanomanipulation, soft
  nanotechnology, and tissue engineering

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NanoFactory

• A regional showcase for nanomanufacturing
  excellence and best practice in development and
  industrial applications of large volume
  functional consumer products enabled by micro-
  and nano- technologies
• Single point of entry for expertise, capability
  and facilities across eight regional universities

www.nanofactory.org.uk
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NanoFactory

• Bone replacement (nano-ceramics)
• Inner ear implants (micro-moulding)
• Flexible screens (coating)
• Shin pads (nanofibres)
• Luggage (nanofibres)
• Car industry

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MNT Network

• MNT Network and facilities
• Communities and discussion groups
• Industrial Map of UK
• Industrial Awareness Packs
• Events, newsletter, website, etc.

www.mntforum.com
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Contents

• Strategy/concept
• What weve done already
• What we plan to do

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Barriers to Commercialisation of New Technologies

• Academic Barriers
• Industrial Barriers
• Funding Barriers

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Academic Barriers to Commercialisation

• Facilities and multi-disciplinary working
• Short-term resources
• Relative priorities and drivers regarding
  research, teaching, and knowledge/technology
  transfer
• Financial drivers for industrial
  outreach/commercialisation activities
• Understanding of potential industrial
  applications
• Understanding of potential industrial barriers to
  commercialisation
• Understanding of the whole innovation cycle
• Exploitation strategy of University

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Industrial Barriers to Commercialisation

• Risk Adversion
• Sort-term aims vs timescale for commercialisation
  of RD
• Awareness of technology
• Linking new technologies to current markets
• Single point of contact (knowing where to go)
• Cost of developing new technologies

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Funding Barriers to Commercialisation

• Proof of concept funding
• Finance for early stage companies
• Return on investment criteria
• Sometimes a bureaucracy barrier to getting
  funding

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Stimulating business RD

• Industrial Research and Development
• Award for Large Companies
• Only English region to help large companies to
  accelerate RD (18.5m)
• Grant for RD
• 3.1m to support innovation in SMEs

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Conclusions

• Got academic RD excellence in Nanotechnology
• Investing in making this commercially focussed
• Got infrastructure for academic/industrial
  collaboration
• Investing in utilising this for micro- and
  nano-technology

Want to generate wealth and economic growth from
new micro- and nano-technologies
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Dr Malcolm Butler malcolm.butler_at_yorkshire-forwar
d.com 44 (0)114 2229553