Transcript Document

Driving Innovation
Accessing & Commercialising Content in a
Digitally Networked Age
Jim Clipson
Alex Stanhope
26th March
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Driving Innovation
Agenda
• Introduction to the Technology Strategy
Board
• Accessing & Commercialising Content
Call
– Background & Scope
• Application process - overview
Driving Innovation
The Technology Strategy Board is…
A national body supporting business innovation
for business benefit
for economic growth
for quality of life
Sponsored by the Department of Innovation, Universities
& Skills
Driving Innovation
2008-9
2010-11
£1 billion investment
over 3 years
The innovation climate
Challenge-led innovation
Technology-inspired
innovation
Driving Innovation
Criteria for investment
• UK capacity to develop and exploit
the technology
• The right potential for impact in the
right time frame
• The size of the global market
opportunity
• A clear role for the Technology
Strategy Board to add value
Driving Innovation
Accessing & Commercialising Content in a
Digitally Networked Age
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Driving Innovation
Accessing & Commercialising Content
Background
• The content industries account for three quarters of the
sector’s GVA contribution
• Digitisation & increasing bandwidth are driving opportunities
for new products and services
But also facilitating file sharing and piracy on an
unprecedented scale
• Converging technologies are opening up new possibilities
• Increasingly consumers are wanting to produce and share
their own content.
• Volume of content available on the web is growing
exponentially
• Emerging economies are investing in skills to compete in
higher value services.
Ability to earn an adequate economic return on
endeavours is critical to ongoing success and
vibrancy of the UK content industries
Driving Innovation
Aim of the Call
To provide technology based
solutions to help digital content
producers and rights holders
realise and maximise the
commercial returns from their IP
Driving Innovation
Scope
Accessing & Commercialising Content in a Digitally
Networked Age
• New business models, processes, enhanced
experiences
• Applications to increase effectiveness of revenue
collection
• Solutions to broaden market access
• Intelligent/intuitive access to context relevant content
• Applications to support interaction or extend
participation
• Tools to support the emergence of new value chains
Driving Innovation
Requirements
• Deliverable a prototype, demonstrator, proof
of concept
• With wide market potential
• Rooted in a specific content product exemplar
• Looking for innovative solutions not “me toos”
• Need to identify specific market opportunity
and route to market for exploitation.
NB Not about promoting knowledge
exchange or communicating good practice
Driving Innovation
Partners
• UK Film Council
 Development of new digital tools to increase the
discoverability and provide access to a greater
number of films; promote commercial exploitation
for rights holders; encourage closer relationships
between film and the technology companies.
• Arts & Humanities Research Council
• Economic & Social Research Council
• Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Councils
 To promote knowledge exchange between industry
and academia
Driving Innovation
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Driving Innovation
Expression of Interest
Review Criteria
Jim Clipson
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Driving Innovation
TSB Strategic Criteria
UK Capacity to Develop and Exploit the Technology:
 significant research capability/capacity to exploit opportunities,
Potential for Impact and Timescale:
 further research and innovation with significant impact in right
timeframe,
 competitive activity – key benchmark for right things at the right
pace.
The Size of the Global Market Opportunity:
 create value added in UK, taking account of the global market
potential.
A Clear Technology Strategy Board Role:
 add value identifying and addressing barriers, critical policy
challenges, lever in other public funds, raise engagement, crossgovernment co-ordination - a clear basis for business to engage
in the agenda.
Driving Innovation
The Ideal Project (in this context)
• A clear commercial opportunity to open up or exploit a
significant growth market.
• A technical challenge that requires the creation of an
industrially driven consortium and innovative and risky
research and development to solve.
• A realistic project with deliverables and applications that
are innovative, commercially exploitable and of wider
benefit.
• A demonstrable need for support.
Driving Innovation
Types of Project
Commercialisation
Prod. Prototype
System Qual.
System Dev.
Technology Demo
Technology Development
Feasibility
Blue sky
Research
Councils
BAS
APP
EXP
Research Council + others + Technology Strategy Board Funding
Market readiness
Commercial Investment
Venture Capital
Driving Innovation
EOI Structure
The EOI is broken down into 4 sections:
1. How does the project fit the competition call?
2. What is the business proposition that the
applicants are trying to address?
3. What will the project entail?
4. Is the project value for money?
Driving Innovation
Gateway Review Process
(at EoI review & full Assessment)
1. Does the application
pass the Scope Gateway
question?
No
Yes
2. Proceed to review
process.
Driving Innovation
Scope Gateway
Key Points:
• “must align”
• “clear majority of
the projects
objectives and
activities”
Driving Innovation
Section 1: The Business Proposition
Question 1 – What is the business opportunity that this
project addresses?
Question 2 – What is the size of the market opportunity that
this project might open up?
Question 3 – How will the results of the project be exploited
and disseminated?
Question 4 – What economic and sustainability benefits is
the project expected to deliver to those outside the
consortium and over what timescale?
All questions are equally weighted.
Driving Innovation
Question 1
Key Points:
• Have the applicants
identified a viable
market opportunity?
Driving Innovation
Question 2
Key Points:
• “size of the market”
requires quantification
and if possible,
evidence.
• Describe the potential
return numerically too.
“If no-one in the
consortium knows the
market, you haven’t
got the right
consortium!”
Driving Innovation
Question 3
Key Points:
• What is the project
expecting to produce
or achieve?
• How do you plan to
exploit the results?
• If the intended outputs
are sustainability
based, what are they
and how will the
benefits be achieved?
Driving Innovation
Question 4
Key Points:
• Who else will benefit
from the project and
how?
• Will there be any social
or environmental
impacts? If these are
negative how will they
be mitigated?
Driving Innovation
Section 2: The Project Details
Question 5 – What technical approach will be adopted and
how will the project be managed?
Question 6 – What is innovative about the project?
Question 7 – What are the risks (technical, commercial and
environmental) to project success? What is the project’s
risk management strategy?
Question 8 – Does the consortium have the right skills and
experience and access to facilities to deliver the intended
benefits?
All questions are equally weighted.
Driving Innovation
Question 5
Key Points:
• Describe the main
technical objectives
and the basic work
plan?
• Will it fly?
Driving Innovation
Question 6
Key Points:
• “both commercial and
scientific innovations”
• “Evidence” such as
patent search
The UK Intellectual Property Office says 80% of
published patents are lapsed and estimates that
30% of European R&D expenditure is wasted!
Driving Innovation
Question 7
Key Points:
• Risks should not just
be technical,
remember the
commercial,
managerial and
environmental risks
too.
• How will the risks be
managed
Driving Innovation
Question 8
Key Points:
• Describe the team you
have created to carry
out the project and
exploit the results.
• If there are gaps in the
consortium, say so and
how you intend to fill
them before the main
application deadline
Driving Innovation
Section 3: Funding and Added Value
Question 9 – What is the financial commitment required for
the project?
Question 10 – How does the financial support from the
Technology Strategy Board and its funding partners add
value?
All questions are equally weighted.
Driving Innovation
Question 9
Key Points:
• Explain the funding
model for the project
and how the money
will be spent.
• If the project spans
more than one type,
explain the reasoning
behind this decision.
Driving Innovation
Question 10
Key Points:
• “will increase the
amount of money”
• “why not funding the
project themselves”
• “how undertake the
project differently”
• “why beneficial to the
UK”
Driving Innovation
Application Details
• Indicative budget £5million
• Must be truly collaborative
• Fasttrack Projects – below £100k
– Led by a Creative Industry SME
– 12 months in duration
 2 competition cycles
• Collaborative R&D – above £100k
– Industry led
– Typically 24 – 36 months duration
1 competition cycle
Entry to market within 2 – 5 years of project
completion
Driving Innovation
Fasttrack Projects
• Maximum £50k grant for projects of £100k
(i.e. 50% matched in kind funding)
• No partner can have more than 50% of costs
covered – including academic
• One stage competition
• Decision within three weeks of application
deadline
• Unsuccessful applicants from first cycle can
reapply in second cycle
• Application by dedicated form ~ downloaded
and uploaded
www.technologyprogramme.org.uk
Driving Innovation
The Process Timeline
• Rolling phases with 3 - 4 technology areas per round
• 19 week Application process from Competition Open to
Applicants informed
• 2 stages
Driving Innovation
Applicants’ Journey
Collaboration
Agreement
Competition
closes
Expression
of Interest
deadline
Optional EOI
leading to deadline
Grant Offer
Letter
New Projects
Workshop
Applicants
informed
Optional
Briefing
Applicants
Informed
Monitoring
process
Compulsory
Briefing
Launch Activities
Expression of
Interest
Review
Period
6 weeks
2 weeks
Full Stage
Application
Assessment
7 weeks
4 weeks
Project
initiation
Driving Innovation
Key Dates
Collaborative R&D Programme (+£100k)
Call Opens
16th March
Optional Briefing
1st April
Expression of Interest
23rd April
Feedback
11th May
Compulsory Briefing
20th May
Full Application
25th June
Decision
24th July
Fasttrack Projects (<£100k)
Round 1
23rd April
Round 2
18th June
Driving Innovation
Panel process – Expression of Interest
• 2 week review period – independent panel
• Each application individually reviewed by 3
reviewers
• Panel meets and agrees on scope and
consensus score
Driving Innovation
Panel decision and feedback –
Expression of Interest
• Numbers invited forward to give about 50% chance of
success at Full Stage
• Feedback:
– Unsuccessful applicants – relative scores given
– Successful applicants – descriptive
• Successful applicants have the option to discuss feedback
but must book an appointment for the phone clinic – extranet
website
– Only successful applicants will be invited forward to the full
stage application
Driving Innovation
Full Stage Application
• By invitation only via feedback e-mail
• Download your full stage application form
– Finance Form Review 16 Mar to 23 Apr(optional)
– Feedback within 4 working days
• Registration of Intent
– 22 Apr 09
• Competition funding decision – 29 May 09 –
communicated via e-mail
Driving Innovation
Finally…. hints and tips
• The obvious……
– Answer the question fully and use all the space available
– Use spell checker
– Reviewers don’t like excessive use of capital letters etc to emphasise a
point
• Be clear about what you want to do, the benefits, the target audience
• Be specific when quantifying the opportunity ~ avoid clichés
• Make sure it fits into the scope of the call.
• It’s what you actually write that counts.
• Consider the added value dimension carefully
Driving Innovation
www.innovateuk.org
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