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Print articleBiotechnology
Simfonec: Helping make
good research BIG business
Do you know that in London there is a specialist centre helping to create a more entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial business climate within the UK? No? Then read on.
O ver the past couple of years the government has made major policy changes in order to increase the amount of knowledge transfer from our science and engineering base. At the recent Simfonec LEAP 2005 business plan competition awards dinner, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, described the reasoning behind these changes; ?This (lack of knowledge transfer) has been a great weakness of the UK?s innovation in the past, and the government has introduced a number of schemes to remove the barriers to academic innovation.? One of these schemes has been the creation of Science Enterprise Centres (SECs). Simfonec is one of these. Based at Cass Business School in the heart of London, Simfonec is a partnership of some of the capital?s leading universities.
The aim of the centre is to help organisations, both large and small, create a more intrapreneurial environment, and also to help the public become more enterprising in their approach. Simfonec supplies training and mentoring in order to help staff and individuals exploit market opportunities.
| One of these schemes has been the creation of Science Enterprise Centres |
Ultimately our programmes are helping to create entrepreneurially minded people; the people required to help take a company forward in today?s business world. Simfonec works closely with the NHS, secondary schools and universities as well as with high-tech companies, including helping spin-outs from our partner universities. The latest of these, Phonologica, has just fl oated on AIM with a valuation of £30m. We are now offering our expertise to a wider range of companies nationwide.
We run a number of programmes specifically for companies and individuals who are interested in exploiting and developing these areas of enterprise. Topics covered include: Innovation & Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship, Leading the Entrepreneurial Venture, Access to Finance & Financial Management Control, Idea Generation & Innovation, Strategic Marketing for the Technology Start-Up, Intellectual Property Rights & Law, Communication, Networking & Negotiation workshops and 1-to-1 Mentoring.
Commenting on a recent programme that was run for the NHS, Terry Conder, Director, East London Innovation Hub, commented; ?We have engaged with Simfonec on a number of levels, including: the training of NHS staff who are involved in delivering IP management, and secondly in the delivery of education and training programmes to R&D Managers within NHS trusts, specifically focusing on IP issues.? Speaking on the intrapreneurial aspect of the course Terry continued; ?The courses have helped to increase staff confidence here in the Hub and have helped people outside to understand that there is the expertise here to be used.?
| Science Enterprise Centres have played a key role in this process of cultural change |
Lord Sainsbury highlighted the impact and importance that such enterprise training is having upon UK plc; ?Science Enterprise Centres have played a key role in this process of cultural change, and I believe that one of the best signs for the future of the British economy is that today 24,000 science and engineering students are receiving enterprise training, whereas the figure in 1998/99 was 3,000.? If you are interested in organising any of the above-mentioned programmes, or simply want to find out more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Julie Logan Director
Simfonec
106 Bunhill Row
London, EC1Y 8TZ
Tel: 020 7040 4141
E-mail:
Website: www.simfonec.co.uk