Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Engineering Schools: Why; What; How GEDC Conference Adelaide 2 nd December 2015 Uzi de Haan- Technion-Cornell Tech 12/18/2015 1
Outline of presentation Why the need for innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering education and research What has to be changed and/or added How: practical recommendations with as use case: Cornell Tech and the Jacobs Technion- Cornell Institute in NYC 12/18/2015 2
Why? the need for change Supply Side Research Universities Engineering Schools Education Research Technology Transfer Office Technology Engineers Demand Side - Business and other users Changes: Service Innovation jointly with users Open Innovationpartner collaboration Globalization Exponential technology growth ; not only digital Disruptive innovations spawning new industries New startupsincumbents industry configurations 12/18/2015 3
Explosive, Self Feeding Growth of Technologies; which is overwhelming incumbent companies, and cause rapid changes in industries. Industries attempt to cope with high levels of uncertainty and risks through engagement with external and internal entrepreneurial innovation
Growth in Technologies is compounded by Disruptive Innovations which combine technologies across disciplines and industries; create new value propositions and value capture models ; unbundle existing industries and migrate value to new Industries thereby changing the competitive landscape 12/18/2015 5
Startups have become essential components of industries Entrepreneurial agency as indispensable part of industry emergence and innovation Classical Engineering Schools and MBA Sources of Technology -Universities -Research Institutes -Corporate Research -Entrepreneurs Incumbent firms and Acquisitions of (large) incumbent firms - R&D Focus on learning curve and incremental innovations Startups de-risk: -technology -markets -biz models Acquisition of Startups Israel s Biz model Independent new Company Startup MBA Startup Engineering Incumbent Firms R&D + A&D 12/18/2015 6
Engineers play a key role in changes at the demand side Challenging both engineering and business schools education
Educate to Innovate (2015) The Academy of Engineering What are factors that influence innovation and entrepreneurship: Skills and Attributes: Creativity Dissatisfaction with status-quo Intense curiosity The ability to identify serendipitous moments Willingness to take risk and to fail Passion Knowledge of their field The ability to identify good problems/ideas The ability to work at the interfaces of disciplines The ability to sell and idea Persistence, flexibility, handling ambiguity Experiences Interdisciplinary collaborations Industrial experience Identification and solution of open problems Mentorship Role models Upbringing that nurtures innovation Experience of trial and error and failure followed by success Playfulness, tinkering, experimenting 12/18/2015 Environments: Explicitly encourage innovation Have physical spaces for free/open/informal discussions Facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration Encourage following one s passion Place a strong emphasis on the value of education Provide freedom to tinker 8
What: The carriers that can provide and educate the needed skills/attributes; experiences and environments for innovation and entrepreneurship 1. Engagement - Engaged Learning by students through collaborating with companies and users/markets to tackle problems - Engaged faculty involved in user inspired research and engaged learning 2. Design thinking : embedded in the standard engineering courses and as connecting and additional layer of education mostly in form of Project Based Learning and by teams 12/18/2015 9
WHAT? Need for startup engineers also in established firms T- engineers and researchers - Proficient in one technology domain - Able to connect dots across domains Design thinkers combining - Science/Engineering logic - Handling uncertainty and ambiguity - Creativity - Empathy Leadership, Communication and team skills 12/18/2015 10
How: some generic recommendations that may help navigating your present road map in innovation and entrepreneurship Use case: the new engineering school Cornell Tech in NYC housing the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute started in 2013. Has presently 2 one year Master programs: CS and MBA, 2 two year Master programs in Connected Media and Health-Tech, a PhD program and a startup postdoc program called Runway. 12/18/2015 11
2017 Phase One The Bridge Co-Lo building for companies Bloomberg Open Space academic building Residential building Verizon Executive Ed Center (2019)
How: generic recommendations for research that matters Include proven engagement in faculty hiring requirements Amplify user inspired research with an impact by providing capabilities of prototype/artifact development, piloting with users and new IP models Provide specific opportunities for student entrepreneurs to act as agents of technology transfer. E.g. the i-corps program, PhD entrepreneurial leads in Labs, the startuppostdoc Runway program. Rethink IP ownership and transfer by faculty and students Academic appointment of Chief Entrepreneurship Officer on School/Department level. 12/18/2015 13
Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute Runway Startup Postdocs Part business school, part research institution, and part startup incubator Unique IP model Small stake in company for financial support and free, exclusive license
Runway startup postdoc program: Applying deep technology to hard problems in the real world Started in Jan 2014. Annual cycle of cohorts of four to six postdocs. Next one August 2016. Application until 15 th February 2016 http://tech.cornell.edu/programs/startuppostdocs Runway is an international l program. Your PhDs are encouraged to apply. The Runway model is scalable and applicable to all research universities 15
How: generic recommendations for education Engineering schools acting as incubators offering students multiple support points for building companies and products (e.g. courses, bizplan competition, 3DS, Hackathons, TTO, I-lab, E-Club) Built a Studio Culture of questioning/critique, building and experimenting, breakouts in teams, collaboration and a Studio Space as core space for project courses, guest speakers, hackathons, etc. Offer across departments project courses to design products and startups when possible jointly with other schools (Business, Medical, Law, Architecture) with practitioners as teaching support 12/18/2015 16
How: generic recommendations for research and education Engage with real world problems by bringing in practitioners as teachers not only for specific credited courses or guest talks but as: Co-teachers of projects and design courses Project mentors Specific workshops Design and project courses are labor intensive. Scale by practitioners as co-teachers and by guided peer learning Engagement between industry and students by internships, by allowing part-time student employment and by company projects 12/18/2015 17