Call for Projects LIRA 13 Forum of Technology and Industrial Innovation 2017 Call Description LIRA program, headed by the Ministry of Industry, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, the National Council for Scientific Research and Banque du Liban, is organizing the LIRA 13 Forum of technology and industrial Innovation. The newly developed academic-industrial projects will be showcased at the UNESCO Palace from 12 to 15 December 2017. LIRA, since 1997, has been supporting advancements in the Lebanese industrial sector, while providing university researchers with career opportunities that match their potential capabilities, in order to reduce the brain drain. Last year, more than 50 projects from 11 universities participated in the competition, in addition to professional Lebanese Innovators resident in Lebanon and abroad. LIRA 2017 Forum will continue to bridge the gap between the young generation of Lebanese innovators and local industrialists.
ELIGIBILITY LIRA 2017 competition is addressed to Lebanese innovators resident in Lebanon or abroad. The project should be strongly leading to industrial development and supported by a fully functional prototype. The competition is open for participation in three distinct application classes, with different eligibility criteria set for each, and explained in the attached documents. The application classes are: - Graduating Projects - Doctorate & Professional Projects - International Lebanese Innovators During the first half of year 2017, LIRA funded USD 116,000 for Innovative Academic-Industrial applied research projects. All students and professors who have received funds from LIRA will participate this year in the LIRA 13 Forum to represent their prototypes, with the exception of ongoing Doctorate projects. HOW TO APPLY All applicants should fill in and submit the online LIRA application after consulting the relevant application class criteria. In addition, pictures and a 1minute movie should be provided before the deadline. The first shortlisting will be based on the concept note, photos and movie that presents an adequate project brief and how the prototype functions. Online applications with missing photos and videos will be disqualified from the competition. Deadline for online applications is September 30, 2017.
AWARDS & FUNDING In addition to the exposure leading to potential job opportunities, or startup incubation, awards and funds are provided to the top projects. INTERNATIONAL LEBANESE INNOVATORS 1. An invitation to participate in the LIRA 13 forum and attend the award ceremony (travel will be covered by the organizers) 2. Shipment of the prototype will be covered by the organizers 3. A Trophy engraved with the winner name will be handed during the award ceremony 4. Possible additional prizes from organizers and sponsors DOCTORATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS Cash prizes and trophies with certificates from LIRA Advisory Board are awarded to the best projects. There are two awards offered to the first and second places of each of the following: Applied research projects developed and submitted by engineering or sciences doctorate researchers/professors at higher education institutions Applied research projects submitted by professionals GRADUATING PROJECTS The top three projects of each category, listed below, are awarded cash prizes, and an additional prize is awarded to the supervising professor of the best project in each category: - Mechanical and Mechatronics - Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Sciences - Civil Engineering - Information and Communication Technology - Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries - Agro-Food Industry - Packing and Packaging - Materials and Nanotechnology - Other Industry Related Applications
Berytech Incubation Prize for Three LIRA Projects Through its partnership with Berytech, LIRA is promoting entrepreneurship in the ICT sector. This aims to give the opportunity for winners to turn their projects into viable startup projects. The incubation and business support prize will be offered for three projects selected from LIRA participants who match Berytech criteria, for a period of 18 Months (including a 6-month evaluation process): Category Hosting, Logistics & Admin Follow up Coaching & Mentoring with experts Trainings & Workshops Description Dedicated space for the 3 winning teams (2 members per team) including desk, access to internet, technology infrastructure, meeting rooms, visibility services, team expertise, follow up and support in access to networks, finance, experts, visibility services and participation in potential business events. Follow up coaching sessions covering business and entrepreneurship topics and technical sessions in addition to one mentor per project in charge of following up with the entrepreneur in addition to support in access to professional and support networks. Access to Berytech trainings with hands-on tools and topics for capacity building for entrepreneurs addressing issues in the areas of HR development, capacity building, access to ICT, technology sharing, market access on regional and global levels and further access to finance.
LSTP Start up award for One LIRA Project in North Lebanon As part of its initiatives to support innovative academic projects in science and technology that are linked to industry, LSTP (Lebanon Science and Technology Park) offers Potential seed funding to create a startup company in North Lebanon after providing Technical assistance to develop/complete the project commercial feasibility study and business plan to one of the award-winning projects at the annual LIRA exhibition Prize Conditions 1. Project should be related to any science and technology field with preference to ICT, Biotechnology and healthcare, and renewable energy 2. Project should satisfy all the winning criteria of the LIRA Annual competition 3. Project should score relatively high on the innovation and marketability elements of the project assessment criteria 4. Project idea has to be original and patentable 5. Project idea practical side will be taken into consideration and what extent the industry/society needs it 6. Project should be the base of a potential startup company that creates job opportunities in North Lebanon 7. Project team members should show willingness and enthusiasm to become future entrepreneurs Certificates will be given to all accepted participants during the final Ceremony.
LINKS AND MEDIA For more information, please watch our pre-launch campaign: https://youtu.be/n-pxp7imiow For criteria details and to submit the online application, please visit: http://liraprogram.com/website/ For updates, photos, press releases & media coverage for LIRA 2016/2017 Funds & LIRA 12 Forum, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lira-program-1726662247564089/ PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
LIRA PROGRAM Graduating Projects Introduction The Ministry of Industry, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research, and Banque du Liban are proud to launch the annual Conference and Exhibition of Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements (LIRA). All universities are encouraged to participate in this showcase of innovation, which aims to instill the importance of creativity and technological development with high quality applied research in young generations of engineers and scientists. Engineering and Sciences Faculties are invited to select the best of engineering final year projects, and sciences masters projects, which reflect a strong potential for industrial application. The Faculty adopted projects compete in an open forum and are evaluated by a specialized jury during the LIRA Exhibition, based on the enclosed criteria. The top three projects of each category, listed below, are awarded cash prizes, and an additional prize is awarded to the supervising professor of the best project in each category: - Mechanical and Mechatronics - Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Sciences - Civil Engineering - Information and Communication Technology - Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries - Agro-Food Industry - Packing and Packaging - Materials and Nanotechnology - Other Industry Related Applications
Eligibility To be eligible for consideration in this category, faculty selected projects must be: Submitted through the online application portal prior to the deadline Prepared by students, on their final year of an accredited engineering program, or, on a masters degree of a sciences program Strongly leading to industrial development Supported by a functional prototype Evaluation Process Project applications should include all the necessary documents, as submissions should reflect on two main parts: Technical Description: Clear description of the problem and methodology with relevant bibliographical research, and detailed technical solution with results. Business Perspective: Clear description of business planning with regards to marketing, feasibility, and commercial competitiveness. The following criteria are detailed in the remaining part of the document in order to provide a precise description of what is expected for the evaluation process. Applicants are encouraged to carefully read this description before producing the project document. A project is graded based on the achievements as follows: I. Creativity and Innovation (20%) II. Technical Solution (40%) A. Research & Design Quality (15%) B. Finishing and Presentation (15%) C. Multidisciplinary Content (10%) III. Business Development Potential (40%) A. Market Research & Analysis (10%) B. Added Value to the Lebanese Industry (10%) C. Manufacturing Plans (10%) D. Financial Feasibility (10%)
Assessment Criteria I. Creativity and Innovation (20%) There is a strong need in Lebanon to promote the development of new industrial activities that can capitalize on the existing human resources. The inclusion of this element is to encourage directing our human resources towards products that have not yet been produced in Lebanon or in export markets. Innovation does not need to be complicated or difficult. The applicant(s) should clearly identify all innovations introduced, as compared to similar products in the market or to other similar projects. II. Technical Solution (40%) Research & Design Quality (15%) In today's market, it is imperative to include quality as a parameter in any project evaluation. While there are many definitions for quality, in engineering projects quality deployment requires the investigation, implementation and documentation of specific techniques and steps. A quality project deploys these techniques while executing the engineering design process steps, in order to consistently deliver declared specifications. Quality of the research and design outcome may be defined in terms of functional performance and fitness-for-use requirements as applied to the design and prototype: 1- Design Planning: The following steps must be documented: Research and evaluation of market needs Derivation of measurable engineering project characteristics Development of alternative design solutions Selection of a best proposed design Evaluation (iterations when needed) of the design Prototyping and assessment (iterations when needed)
Following engineering standards and applying engineering best practices (when appropriate) 2- Reliability: Reliability is the probability that an item will perform a required function following declared specifications under design stated conditions, for a stated period of time. 3- Maintainability: Maintainability refers to the ease with which preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance on a product can be achieved; more formally maintainability is defined as the ability of an item under stated conditions can be retained in, or restored to, within a given period of time. 4- Product Safety: Safety should be designed into the product to a degree consistent with objectives' requirements. Hazards associated with each product (and its components and units) are to be identified, eliminated, or controlled to an acceptable level. Control is to be established over hazards that cannot be eliminated, so as to protect personnel, equipment, and property. Finishing and Presentation (15%) Product design and finishing are an important prerequisite for any successful innovation, so projects are expected to present a complete product prototype that provides customer satisfaction. A prototype is the first completed unit, tested and found to be fully operational. Prototyping is a science; it is recommended that the applicants get familiar and apply when possible professional prototyping techniques and material. Ideally, prototype units are built using the manufacturing procedures and equipment planned for full-scale production. However, in some cases, that is not possible and the applicant(s) can build the prototype using: finished materials, printed circuit boards, proper housing elements, acceptable labeling, metal and/or plastic molding etc. A professionally presented functional prototype of the highest finishing standards is to be sought after.
Multidisciplinary Content (10%) In today's knowledge based economy, a high degree of competitiveness can be achieved by successful integration of multiple specializations, yielding in a production of more complex products achieving higher added value. Thus, there is a need to train engineers and scientists for multidisciplinary environments, and to encourage applicants and universities to develop multidisciplinary teams and projects. The inclusion of this parameter aims at promoting multidisciplinary thinking, as applicants are expected to indicate the multitude of disciplines and specialization areas used in the project. III. Business Development Potential (40%) Market Research (10%) The evaluation of the marketability should be based upon the following: Assessment of proper identification of the market/client needs; Identification of a target market should be clearly defined and justified. Assessment of relevance of identified need; i.e. how urgent and how much the client is willing to pay; the relevance of the need to the market being served means a proper definition of the market size and of potential client, as well as how much the market can pay for the need and how much it can absorb so as to make the operation economically feasible. Assessment of the ability of the proposed project to meet the need. It stresses whether the proposed concept is able to meet the need. Since no requirement is stipulated to address the other aspects of the marketing mix (namely promotion/communication, and distribution), they would not be included in the evaluation of the marketability of the proposal.
Added Value (10%) What really determines how well a product is received by a market is the relative value that the product delivers. By looking at value, applicant(s) can compare between different offerings. Value is the benefits derived from a product (tangible and intangible) given the cost one pays as compared to competitors (others serving the same need and the same market segment as defined by the researcher). The applicant(s) must estimate the value-added of the product, by calculating the expenses incurred and proposing a "Tag Price" for the finished product. The academic need to include this factor resides in the necessity of creating a strong awareness among applicants and industrialists of the need to measure and continuously work on improving this critical factor. Manufacturing (10%) Many of the excellent lab prototypes never make it to the manufacturing stage because the applicant(s) did not take into consideration the manufacturability of the product. Many good designs cannot be easily manufactured and may have to be radically modified to accommodate the needs of mass production processes and/or to reduce the cost of such processes, in order to improve the competitiveness of the product. Applicants are expected to describe the various steps needed to develop the prototype through design for manufacturing. Financial Feasibility (10%) Project application documents should include a detailed study of the associated costing, through a cash flow projection highlighting the following: An estimate of the capital investment A detailed breakdown of the manufacturing costs An estimate of growing return on capital invested with time
LIRA PROGRAM Doctorate and Professional Projects Introduction The Ministry of Industry, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research, and Banque du Liban are proud to launch the annual Conference and Exhibition of Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements (LIRA). All universities and professional entities are encouraged to participate in this showcase of innovation, which aims to transform high quality, creative industrial research into productive industrial investment opportunities. Academic Researchers and Professionals are invited to submit projects that reflect a strong potential for industrial application. The participating projects compete in an open forum and are evaluated by a specialized jury during the LIRA Exhibition, based on the enclosed criteria. Cash prizes and trophies with certificates from LIRA Advisory Board are awarded to the best projects. There are two awards offered to the first and second places of each of the following: Applied research projects developed and submitted by engineering or sciences doctorate researchers/professors at higher education institutions Applied research projects submitted by professionals
Eligibility To be eligible for consideration in this category, project applications must be: Submitted through the online application portal prior to the deadline Prepared within doctorate programs/or by professors, or by professionals Strongly leading to industrial development Indicative of rigorous applied research outcomes Supported by a functional prototype Furthermore, the applicant(s) must clearly express the potential benefit of the project to the Lebanese industrial sector in particular. The applied research project must have at least one of the following potential outputs: 1. Development of a new product that can be feasibly produced in Lebanon 2. Development of a new industrial process that can be applied in favor of a Lebanese industry, in order to improve: a. Productivity b. Efficiency c. Quality 3. Any other disruptive or incremental innovation Evaluation Process Project applications must include all the necessary documents, as submissions should reflect on two main parts: Technical Description: Clear description of the problem and methodology with relevant bibliographical research, and detailed technical solution with results. Business Perspective: Clear description of business planning with regards to marketing, feasibility, and benefit to the Lebanese industrial sector.
A specialized jury of technically qualified peer reviewers, industrialists and investors, meticulously evaluates applied research project submissions according to the following criteria. These are highlighted below, and detailed in the following section, in order to provide a precise description of what is expected for the evaluation process. Applicants are encouraged to carefully read this description before producing the project documents. I. Innovation and Uniqueness (30%) A. Novelty/Inventive Step (15%) B. Added Value to the Lebanese Industrial Sector (15%) II. Design and Quality (30%) A. Process/Product Design (10%) B. Multidisciplinary Aspects (10%) C. Overall Quality (10%) III. Business Planning (40%) A. Market Research (15%) B. Strategic Fit (15%) C. Financial Feasibility (10%) Assessment Criteria I. Innovation and Uniqueness (30%) Novelty/Inventive Step (15%) Applicant(s) should clearly identify all novel innovations introduced, if any, benchmarked to prior art. Alternatively, it should be clearly pointed out where there has been an improvement or an inventive step to an existing innovation. In a doctorate project, the project outcomes should be linked to the research achievements within the doctorate program, in creating knowledge.
Added Value (15%) Productivity is best measured by the ratio of the added value to the input factors invested in producing it. The grading of this index is based on round number approximating typical rates of productivity in industrialized nations. The applicant(s) must show serious effort in estimating the added value of the product, by calculating the expenses incurred and proposing a "Tag Price" for the finished product. The academic need to include this factor resides in the necessity of creating strong awareness among applicants and industrialists for the need to measure and continuously work on improving this critical factor. II. Design and Quality (30%) Process/Product Design (10%) Many of the excellent lab prototypes never make it to the manufacturing stage due to a lack of design for manufacturing approach. Many good designs cannot be easily manufactured and may have to be radically modified to accommodate the needs of mass production processes and/or to reduce the cost of such processes in order to improve the competitiveness of the product. Applicant(s) are expected to prepare a thorough documentation on the design of various processes needed to move the prototype from the lab to manufacturing. Multidisciplinary Content (10%) In today's knowledge based economy, a high degree of competitiveness can be achieved by successful integration of multiple specializations, yielding in a production of more complex products achieving higher added value. Thus, there is a great need to encourage researchers and professionals to develop multidisciplinary projects. The inclusion of this parameter aims at promoting multidisciplinary applied research environments, as applicants are expected to indicate the multitude of disciplines and specialization areas used in the project.
Overall Quality (10%) In today's market, it is imperative to include quality as a parameter in any product evaluation. It has long been established that quality is mostly a management system. But whereas systems can be evaluated with respect to quality management standards, such as ISO 9001/2000, it would be difficult to subject operating prototypes, or single product/projects to such an evaluation. Instead, this is done through three main criterions that carry a qualitative assessment of the eventual production system, and that of the finished product. Those three parameters are: degree of robustness, simplicity, and durability. These parameters are applied to the design, prototype, and finishing. Noting that it may be difficult to apply all three to some of the entries in the LIRA exhibition, additional criteria for specific products may be used in order to establish a comparative measure of quality. III. Business Planning (40%) Market Research (15%) It is essential that available resources be directed towards economically viable and commercially acceptable activities. It is thus imperative to be aware of the global market, and to put emphasis on those products that can be economically viable and marketable, given Lebanese economic constraints, namely products in which Lebanese producers may have a competitive advantage. The global market reality is a fact that applicants need to be aware of, and clearly represent in their application documents. The main factors in product marketability today are quality, price and acceptability by end user. As such, cost as a percentage of global prices for equivalent products, is believed to be a good indicator of marketability. Applicant(s) are expected to prove the marketability through a market research, identifying the prices of comparable products in the market, and the expected market size, in addition to an estimate of acceptability by end users.
Strategic Fit (15%) To reflect the need for interaction with local industrialists/potential investors, and to widen the scope of evaluation, applicants should clearly identify the potential of the project with regards to investment and incorporation into the Lebanese industrial sector. An industrialist is a past, current, and future investor and this evaluation criterion would act as proof test and user acceptability of the project. The applicant(s) should also be concerned about the competitiveness of the product in local and in export markets. The export constraints (legal issues, quality control, transportation etc.) and their impact on prices and competitiveness of the project are to be evaluated and professionally presented. Financial Feasibility (10%) It is essential for applied research projects to demonstrate commercial viability, best exemplified professionally through a detailed cash flow. Project application documents should include a detailed study of the associated costing, through a cash flow projection highlighting the following: An estimate of the capital investment A detailed breakdown of the manufacturing costs An estimate of growing return on capital invested with time
LIRA PROGRAM International Lebanese Innovators Introduction The Ministry of Industry, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research, and Banque du Liban are proud to launch the annual Conference and Exhibition of Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements (LIRA). It is commonly recognized that Lebanese talents have significant achievements worldwide, as innovative ideas and industrial processes have been proposed and developed globally by engineers and scientists with Lebanese origins. Every year, LIRA program honors a select few of the distinguished Lebanese talents abroad, during the annual exhibition. This aims at informing researchers in Lebanon about the achievements of their peers worldwide, and establishing strong ties with local Lebanese innovators. Application & Selection Process Lebanese researchers and professionals abroad are encouraged to apply by submitting a brief, describing their innovative achievements in applied research, through the online application portal, prior to the published deadline. The brief would introduce the project/start-up and describe how the applied research benefits the industrial sector. The brief would also include a short biography of the applicant(s), in addition to relevant patents or proof of industrial development through products or prototypes. A specialized committee evaluates the applications and selects those with the most distinguished achievements to be invited and honored during the LIRA exhibition.