D R AF T The University of Akron: Driving Economic Competitiveness for North East Ohio GLOBALLY DISTINCTIVE POLYMER SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING APPLIED IN REGIONAL INDUSTRY CLUSTERS March 14, 2008 Strategic Vision: As a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) intensive institution, The University of Akron shall drive economic competitiveness for the region and shall have a unique mission as a center of excellence for the development, protection, marketing and commercialization of new technologies. It shall do so through purposeful integration of basic and applied research, entrepreneurial education, intellectual property law and technology transfer expertise. The University shall provide competitive and innovative Access to Excellence educational and co-operative experiences designed in conjunction with business and other partners. The University shall implement a 10-year strategic plan to: (1) Attain $200 million in annual sponsored research activities; (2) Achieve world-class recognition in distinctive technologies of biomaterials, functional polymers and other advanced materials and their application to medicine, advanced energy, and aerospace; (3) Move to the top 10% in annual PhD production in chemical sciences; (4) Become a nationally distinguished technology transfer and commercialization enterprise that consistently outperforms national productivity benchmarks for start-up company formation and new company attraction; and (5) Become a regional economic driver for NE Ohio that also is linked with other Ohio universities and community colleges as well as to Pittsburgh s research and clinical centers. General premises for Building World-class Excellence in Response to Regional Needs: (1) Economic growth and economically viable new ideas generally occur at the interfaces of different disciplines. (2) In NE Ohio, the major economic industry engines health care, advanced materials, advanced energy, manufacturing, and agriculture must be considered in any long-term economic projections. (3) The polymer program at the University of Akron is a nationally ranked asset that is recognized as a world-class research program; polymers and advanced materials can contribute to the growth and vitality of all the regional economic industry drivers noted above. (4) The medical assets of the region, including the three hospitals in the Akron Biomedical Corridor (General, Children s and Summa) and NEOUCOM, have a diverse and strong clinical practice in orthopaedics, an area that is driven by development and design of biocompatible materials. In addition, important clinical and research assets in wound care and cardiovascular medicine (e.g., all Akron hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, Metro Health and University Hospitals) offer other opportunities for medical research leading to new clinical applications of biomaterials. (5) The long-term economic vitality of the region requires that NE Ohio establish itself as a globally connected hub for these emerging industries that is also linked with other world-class centers of research in biomaterials such as those in Germany, Korea, Singapore, etc. 1
Starting Point: The University of Akron has attained tremendous momentum over the last few years by (1) an investment of over $500 million in the physical transformation of the campus; (2) more than doubled sponsored programs research portfolio to nearly $45 million; (3) recognition as an exemplar institution for technology transfer and commercialization; (4) significant growth in corporate and other institutional partnerships, such as the National Polymer Innovation Center, the Innovation Alliance, and the Akron Academic Health Center, and (5) becoming a top 25% program in the number of Ph.D. graduates in the chemical sciences. UA has established the concept of a National Polymer Innovation Center and is collaboratiing with other Ohio universities, the state and some 25 regional polymer companies for the development of polymerrelated innovations including precision-manufacturing capacity for a new generation of functional polymeric products. In addition, a farm to pharma research program is designed to create pharmacologically active polymeric materials from agricultural feedstocks. Capital and operating funds of approximately $6 million through the Ohio "Wright Centers of Innovation" program have been awarded and UA has committed $11 million for new construction. In addition, over the past two years, UA has worked to establish a partnership with NEOUCOM, Akron General Hospital, Children s Hospital and Summa Health System to create an Akron Academic Health Center (AHC) in Akron. Those institutions bring additional research and clinical expertise in the development and application of new material-based medical products especially in the areas of orthopedics and wound care. The consortium has already submitted a Third Frontier Proposal for an Orthopedic Research Institute to leverage the group s capabilities towards a distinctive presence in biopolymers. In addition, the emerging plans for the broader AHC align with UA s strategic vision by proposing areas of differentiation that support a relationship with UA s strengths in polymers and advanced materials. Moreover, the AHC would utilize and further grow UA s expertise allied health sciences, where UA has over 50 programs, and in technology transfer and commercialization to enhance the regional economy and drive global competitiveness. UA is well-poised to achieve this strategic vision building on its accomplishments to date. Moreover, by aligning itself with its local and regional community to build economic, social and physical health, UA also seeks to define success by new performance standards dedication to and service to the regional economy, addressing the region s challenges; driving regional social, cultural and economic advancement; and developing, attracting and sustaining a talented and diverse population a university that is a strategic partner and a transformational force for sustainable economic vitality in NE Ohio. Implementing the Vision: The University shall implement a 10-year strategic plan to: (1) Attain $200 million in annual sponsored research activities, with selected areas of distinctiveness in biomaterials, functional polymers, and other advanced materials, and their application in medicine, alternative energy, and aerospace. This requires adding significant new faculty that are competitively funded and securing significant federal and corporate grants and contracts. It will do so by a highly focused reinvestment program coupled with new investments yielding over 100 new, competitively-funded research faculty. UA already is ranked 2 nd nationally in polymer science and polymer engineering. Attaining world-class recognition will derive from attaining a critical mass of research faculty, completing the building of its National Polymer Innovation Center, and establishing strategic regional, national and global partnerships with the leading research centers. (2) Move to the top 10% in annual PhD production in chemical sciences (from top 25% presently). UA s doctoral programs in chemical sciences are highly productive (tied with U Arizona and Yale; UA is 2 nd in Ohio, behind OSU and ahead of Cincinnati, Case Western and all others) and can reach top-ten percent in doctoral productivity by the combined impact of new research faculty hires and strategic global partnerships. This means increasing annual Ph.D. productivity in the 2
chemical sciences from about 25 to approximately 50 (for the nearly 200 doctoral programs across the country, average is 16; range is 0 to 81 for 2005-06). (3) Become a nationally distinguished technology transfer and commercialization enterprise that consistently outperforms national productivity benchmarks for start-up company formation and new company attraction. Already, UA is at the top of all national benchmarks in technology transfer and commercialization per dollar of research performed (AUTM, Milken Institute, McKinsey & Co., NSF supported study of exemplar universities, etc.). To be truly distinguished, UA s productivity ratios must be maintained as its research portfolio grows larger. This means sustained annual company formation rates of 2 to 4 per $100 million of research (national average is 1-2 per $100 million), growing licensing revenues (from $7 million today to $10-20 million when full research base achieved) and an increased proportion of corporate grants and contracts in relation to overall sponsored research above national benchmarks of 5%. In addition, UA will capitalize on its growing distinction in intellectual property law and entrepreneurship by two actions: Making additional key faculty hires in IP law and entrepreneurship and integrating its technology transfer and commercialization practice with academic programs in science, engineering, business and law. UA will also leverage the region s growing entrepreneurial assistance investments in groups like BioEnterprise, JumpStart, Akron Global Business Accelerator, and others to help achieve these targets. And UA will continue to offer the services of its technology transfer and commercialization office to other public institutions in Northeast Ohio such as its recent relationships with Cleveland State, Youngstown State and Lorain County Community College. UA has described this goal as that of creating a Center for the Development, Protection, Marketing and Commercialization of New Technologies. (4) Become a regional economic driver for NE Ohio that also is linked with other Ohio universities, community colleges and, in light of the growing connections between NE Ohio and SW Pennsylvania, with Pittsburgh s research and clinical centers. Attaining a critical mass of distinctive research faculty in areas that drive NE Ohio s economy is central to UA s strategy to drive economic growth. A highly differentiated, focused research program with ties to growing industrial sectors and strategically allied with regional and international centers of excellence will distinguish the University and advance Ohio s economic vitality. For example, UA recently joined an Akron consortium to collectively invest in an Israeli start-up incubator that is focused on biomedical and polymer-based companies. Strategic Commitment to Achieve Focused Differentiation: Research Faculty: UA is prepared to focus all future research faculty hires in support of this strategic goal. The goal is to attract over 100 new, competitively funded research faculty over the next 10 years. Currently, there are multiple faculty searches on-going that will start to augment the university's faculty portfolio in biomaterials, bioengineering, genetics, biochemistry, and related disciplines that bridge traditional academic research topics with health, advanced materials, and advanced energy-related applications. The university is prepared to attract 20 nationally known senior faculty over the next 5 years. This number of faculty and their competitive quality will be directly related to pending Third Frontier proposals, which, if funded, would increase the total number of exceptional research faculty hires. The start-up packages will be competitive and commensurate with such hires. The University is further prepared to re-direct 20 additional faculty positions from non-core areas over a 5-year time period. UA will seek additional stakeholder and State support to achieve the full goal. Buildings and research space: The University will be expanding facilities in polymer science and polymer engineering, as well as those for biology and biomedical engineering to support the university's research faculty. As part of the Academic Health Center, the city and community are currently planning an Orthopaedic Research Institute, that will be affiliated with the clinical orthopaedic community, including a new, $100 million orthopaedic hospital that Summa Health System is building in partnership with the 3
Crystal Clinic. Together, these initiatives will expand the university-community interface as related to clinical practice. The Akron Biomedical Corridor, established by the Mayor of Akron, will be the home for those researchers that will be jointly hired by one or more of the health-related partners. Its location will be adjacent to or within the University so that meetings/seminars and mutual research projects can be optimally shared. Distinctive Collaborations: UA is forming and shaping collaborations towards achieving this bold objective. These include the National Polymer Innovation Center (noted above), the Innovation Alliance, and the Akron Academic Health Center. Commercialization and coordinated research activities: There will be an expanded commercialization hub for the community via the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF) so that all partners can utilize a common business partnership facility and those new technologies can have a rapid access to the marketplace by means of the tools available within this Foundation. UA will continue to offer technology transfer and commercialization services to other area colleges, universities and health care enterprises. Investments Towards Strategic Goal To achieve the bold vision outlined above, bold investments are required. The combined faculty and physical development requirements exceed $1 billion over a 10-year time frame. This level of investment is required to have a transformative impact on the region and the state. To accelerate progress against this vision, UA is both making investments itself towards realizing the goal and working closely with Akron-area partners to align and leverage their investments to contribute to this vision. UA is engaged in several activities to date that are significant starting points towards that goal. In terms of faculty recruitment, as noted above, UA is committing to hire 40 new faculty hires over the next 5 years (20 underway and 20 more through reallocation) towards this objective. Based on the average packages required, this investment is approximately $40 million. It proposes to add an additional 100 research faculty hires, at the rate of 10 per year over the next 10 years with new state funding in support of this ambitious differentiation strategy. UA is in the process of completing a $23 million remodeling and expansion of research facilities project for engineering and biology and will soon begin construction of an $11 million addition to its polymer facilities for its National Polymer. It recently completed a $2 million a state-of-the-art turbine engine facility capable of high performance and destructive testing. In addition, the University s research Foundation, UARF, recently acquired two building to create the Akron Innovation Campus a facilities complex to accommodate its growing list of over 23 start-up and affiliated companies. In addition, UA is presently leading a community-wide effort to raise over $200 million to launch the Akron AHC, a partnership of UA, NEOUCOM, Summa Health System, Akron General Medical Center, and Akron Children s Hospital. While the partners are still in the midst of developing both the vision and the plan for the Akron AHC collaboration, there is broad agreement that a focus area for translational and clinical research differentiation is biopolymer. The group has identified a leadership grant of $50 million towards the vision that will be complemented by a $50 million investment from the partners, $50 million from private community sources, and hopefully at least $50 million in new state resources over a 10 year period for that vision. In addition, the group has submitted a competitive Third Frontier grant submission ($31 million) for an Orthopedic Research Institute which would be an initial focus area and step towards the overall group AHC vision. These dollars are beyond the $100 million investment that Summa Health System and Crystal Clinic are making in a new orthopedic hospital nearly adjacent to UA. UA is prepared to make these commitments towards achieving the goal of world-class distinctiveness in polymer sciences and engineering. To achieve the ambitious vision outlined, however, UA will need much more support for both faculty recruitment and research infrastructure. UA seeks the State of Ohio s 4
assistance both directly and through the access it can provide to other resources to realize this ambitious and transformative vision. 5