Dear Colleagues and Friends

Welcome to the first issue of the NovaUCD Newsletter for 2009 in which we review activities and events which took place during the first quarter of 2009.

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The key news story was the announcement of plans to establish an Innovation Alliance between University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. The Alliance will work to develop a world-class ecosystem for innovation that will drive enterprise development and the creation of sustainable high-value jobs as part of the development of a Smart Economy.

NovaUCD hosted two international experts in entrepreneurship and innovation.  Saeed Amidi, President and CEO, Plug and Play Tech Center, delivered a seminar on his experience in supporting start-ups in Silicon Valley. Professor Erkko Autio, Imperial College London delivered the inaugural InterTradeIreland Innovation Lecture at UCD entitled How to Build Momentum for Innovation.

Professor Erkko Autio

NovaUCD has launched a new €10k entrepreneurship competition, called SUSSED!. The aim is to transform business ideas from students and early-stage researchers at UCD into business plans and commercial enterprises. The deadline for the submission of application forms and business plans is 15th May.

The 14th NovaUCD Campus Company Development Programme commenced in March. Sixteen new ventures involving 35 researchers are taking part. Participants on this year's programme are commercialising research undertaken in disciplines such as Agriculture, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Physics and Veterinary Medicine.

The 12th NovaUCD ‘Entrepreneurs Live!’ seminar series which is supported by the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Enterprise Board has been completed. A special seminar was delivered by Sean Gallagher, as part of the NovaUCD Open Day which took place during the very successful Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Enterprise Week.

Sean Gallagher

In this issue we also report on other recent developments for Asimil8, Duolog Technologies, Evolution and Q-Validus.

Paul Groarke and Garrett Hussey, co-founders Asimil8 with Gavin Duffy, Entrepreneur and a 'Dragon' from RTE1's "Dragons' Den" TV Programme (centre)

I would welcome any comments or feedback on this issue. Please contact Micéal Whelan on t: 01-716 3712 or e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.

Would you like to become a member of NovaUCD's LinkedIn Group ?

Dr Pat Frain, Director

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