Posted: 27 March 2008
NovaUCD launches 2008 Entrepreneurship Programme
NovaUCD has started its 2008 Campus Company Development Programme (CCDP) with 11 new high-tech and knowledge-intensive business enterprises. The new enterprises will bring their innovative ideas from intellectual concepts to fully developed and sound commercial business enterprises.
To date, 130 companies and 190 individuals have completed the NovaUCD enterprise programme which has been running for the past thirteen years, and collectively they employ more than 675 people. Previous participating companies include Celtic Catalysts, ChangingWorlds, CRDS, Haptica, Locumotion and TopChem.
Supported by Enterprise Ireland, the NovaUCD CCDP assists UCD academic entrepreneurs with the establishment and development of new business ventures to commercialise the output of their research. This year’s programme participants are commercialising research undertaken in disciplines such as Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Bioprocessing Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Physics and Physiotherapy.
“The establishment of new high-tech ventures is an essential element in realising the full commercial potential of the significant investment in university research and development being made by the Government,” says Dr Pat Frain, Director, NovaUCD. “Clearly programmes such as the CCDP have a major role to play in converting research generated ideas into innovative new ventures. The 675 jobs resulting from the CCDP demonstrates the potential contribution of university research to the creation of high-quality employment.”
The NovaUCD CCDP is a nine-month, part-time programme designed to suit the busy timetable of researchers and academics. It offers a mix of monthly workshops, mentoring and one-to-one consultancy and is delivered by NovaUCD staff, with support from the NovaUCD sponsors, Enterprise Ireland, as well as other outside experts. It is designed to assist entrepreneurs in the establishment and development of knowledge-intensive enterprises by providing the skills necessary to transform ideas into commercially feasible ventures. Participants on the programme have the opportunity to access NovaUCD’s desk space and incubation facilities and associated services. The programme culminates with a high profile Awards Evening held in November.
NovaUCD is University College Dublin’s €11 million Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre. NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with industry and business. NovaUCD as a purpose-built centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises. NovaUCD has over 40 incubation units, including bio-incubation units, and provides innovators and entrepreneurs with the necessary support and knowledge to take their ideas from proof of principle to commercial success. Twenty-two knowledge-intensive companies are currently located in NovaUCD. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx.
For further information visit www.ucd.ie/nova.
