Research & Innovation: The Roles of Industry & Academia within Mobile VCE Dr Walter Tuttlebee Chief Executive, Mobile VCE www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE.
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Research & Innovation: The Roles of Industry & Academia within Mobile VCE Dr Walter Tuttlebee Chief Executive, Mobile VCE www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Remit: Strategic, long-term, world-class, shared-cost research which is defined & steered by the world’s leading companies Observer Members Undertaken by the UK’s leading mobile research Universities www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Some Background… Mobile VCE Not-for-profit company, established in 1996 Governed by its members through an Annual General Meeting AGM appoints a Board of Directors who oversee operation on behalf of the members throughout the year Day to day management is delegated to a full time Chief Executive, reporting to the Executive Committee Personal 20 years industry R&D experience prior to joining Mobile VCE some 3 years after it was first established Prior Experience of Industry-Academic Collaboration Defining EU Collaborative Programmes (3G) UK LINK PCP Management Committee (Mis-)Matching Industry and Academic Expectations My early perspectives of Mobile VCE, from outside www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE The Functional Model ‘Adjacent’ Industries Handset Mfrs Shared Future Visions Telecom Operators Industry Steering Groups Strategic Research Univ Research Teams VCE Infrastructure Mfrs Industry Growth Component, Software, … www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE The Financial Model: High Gearing & Win-Win - - - Members’ Subscriptions - - - Government Funds Members’ Core Fund Core Programme Fund www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Win - Very high financial gearing of Industry funding allows industry to accommodate long-term research perspective Win - High gearing of public, Government, funding Win - Strengthening of the research base & the people base to support the industry and economy Two Types of Research Core Programmes – All Industrial Members Strategic, long-term, research funded by member subscriptions All industry members define, participate, share the benefits & have royalty-free access to IPR. Attracts additional UK government funding Core 1 Mar 1997- Mar 2000, ~50 manyears Core 2 Oct 1999 – Sep 2003, ~100 manyears Core 3 April 2002 – Sep 2005, ~75 manyears Core 4 2005/06 – 2008/09, ~140 manyears Elective Programmes – Those that Choose Research projects commissioned by one or more industrial members Programmes are initiated and defined by an industry member Mobile VCE helps link industrial members with common research needs Industry players select the most appropriate university team assisted, if needed, by Mobile VCE The subset of members share the cost of an elective programme Rapid, low hassle, efficient way to conduct pre-competitive research www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Intellectual Property Effective & Fair Mechanisms Win-win - a fair arrangement for creators and funders Incentive mechanisms encourage good research and IPR Our Industrial Members decide whether a patent should be filed IPR is available royalty-free to Industrial Members (relating to period of membership), and on commercial terms to non-members New Members sign a Deed of Adherence to the IPR Agreement New Members can purchase access to prior IPR for a fee – used to fund further research, benefiting all members A portfolio of 50 filings, 14 grants, over 10 years www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Creating the Research Programme Industry Defines research requirements Visions Days & Programme Development Process global perspective on requirements, ‘ahead of the curve’ Strategic priority areas where … research needed, but not yet being undertaken Mobile VCE can make a real difference high potential industry benefit exists Example – the scope of Core 3 mobile-broadcast Interworking today’s hot topic, defined in 2001 www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Creating the Research Programme Universities Propose leading edge technical approaches Recruit top quality researchers from around the world Work effectively together across organisational boundaries Jointly Joint industry-academic teams established to develop detailed programme description … mutate into … Industry Steering Groups that direct and oversee the research once it begins to ramp up Relationships & trust are a key asset that Mobile VCE has developed over the past decade – a major factor in delivery www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Undertaking the Research Programme Industrial Steering Groups All research is managed by Industrial Steering Groups Industrial Chairman leads each work area Academic Coordinator supports the Industry Chairman Steering Groups meet ~3-4 months for presentations & review Interim workshops – to address scenarios, business models etc Industrials provide feedback, direction to the research teams and decisions on patents, publications, etc Industry ‘Mentors’ ‘Mentor’ is the wrong word – personal relationships that deliver tangible mutual benefits for both the Industrials & Researchers www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE One-on-one & technical meetings with researchers A means to assess and develop potential recruits – many excellent eamples Undertaking the Research Programme University Research Teams University participation invited against objective criteria Selected to match skills to requirements Teams drawn from across multiple Universities Universities assessed periodically by Industry against… technical contribution, staff quality, supervision, collaboration, communication, management & scheduling … Mechanisms drive excellence, mitigate against mediocrity Output Quality – Independently Assessed www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE ‘Internationally Leading’ (top score) for both Research Quality and Programme Management ‘Outstanding’ (top score) for Supply of Researchers, many later recruited by our Industrial Members Industry continues to value Mobile VCE (by funding it !) Introducing Core 4… Development Industrial ‘Future Visions’ Day Global Contributions, Plenary Debate, Breakout Groups Synthesis of Priority Themes Visions Group White Papers – refined through member consultation Four, then Three key themes emerged Programme Development Three joint industry-academic teams established Embryonic Steering Groups In-depth understanding and development of approach, and relationship building, well before programme start Funding Support (Competitive) Bids for (additional) Government funding www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Core 4’s Three Strategic Themes Ubiquitous Services – Creating New Revenues Primary goal - to overcome barriers to the deployment of ubiquitous services in three key domains – user, network & service/content Delivery Efficiency – Reducing Costs Primary goal - the development of efficient mechanisms for wireless communications within a context of future wireless architectures to permit reductions in the cost-per-bit Device & Service Security – Securing the Future Primary goal - to address the growing security issues for increasingly-open mobile devices & services in increasingly-open, interconnected, heterogeneous networks www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Dates & Details Status, May 2006 Ubiquitous Services – New Revenue Streams October 2005 – January 2008 ~45 manyears Supported by the DTI Technology Programme Delivery Efficiency – Reducing ‘Cost-per-Bit’ January 2006 – December 2008 ~72 manyears Supported by EPSRC Device & Service Security – Protecting the ‘Golden Egg’ www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE Late 2006 ~24 manyears Likely support from both EPSRC and DTI www.mobilevce.com © 2006 Mobile VCE