absolute regularity

Collaborative Research and Development Funding Event
OpTIC Technium, St. Asaph (Llanelwy)
Weds 130607

Agenda

Apart from registration, ‘welcome’, coffee and lunch breaks, and general milling about (I mean ‘networking’), the day was broken down like this:

Morning: an hour long presentation, followed by one or two short case studies, on each of the following:

1. Seventh European Framework Programme (FP7)
2. DTI Collaborative Research and Development Funding
3. Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) Research and Development Funding

Afternoon: ‘clinics’, i.e., 1-1 interviews with representatives of FP7UK, DTI and WAG.

Review

Often these kind of events can be pretty grim. This one was quite jolly. The organisation was smooth and the venue was fantastic. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

Venue

The venue was on an out-of-town business park outside St. Asaph (and opposite a vast hi-tech police station).

OpTIC Technium is a lovely building. It has sustainability (photovoltaic wall, rain-harvesting system) and sense-of-place (lots of slate) stamped all over it, but mainly it’s a very pleasant building to be in: it seems to be full of natural light and it’s very airy. It didn’t have the supermarket air and ferocious air-conditioning I associate with office buildings.

The centre’s website should make more of it. Unfortunately, their ‘Building Features’ page comprises just a few snaps taken from the car park, and no text. No information on who the architects were or what has really gone into the building (e.g., that that PV wall is the world’s largest).

As well as being well designed, it was being well used. The place was busy with small opto-electronics businesses.

Content

The funding bodies’ presentations were at least efficient and direct. For the most part the speakers just read out their power point slides. This can be quite relaxing if you close your eyes. The speaker’s tone of voice changes whenever they change a slide or say something they think is interesting, so you don’t miss anything.

The case studies were given by recently completed grant beneficiaries. These presentations were enthusiastic and detailed project histories. Some of them even had worthwhile slides, so I had my eyes open for most of this bit.

With the exception of the DTI’s session, the afternoon clinics were very useful. You can really get things sorted out in a direct conversation. The DTI rep fobbed us off with a group Q & A. Tsk.

The WAG had a team of Innovation and Technology Counsellors (ITCs) on hand and I spoke to a couple of them. We discussed tactical details to do with my current projects, so I won’t go into it here. Talking things over with an ITC is always worthwhile: you can talk freely (and they expect you to talk freely - there’s very little ceremony or polish), they listen properly, and together you can really solve problems and generate ideas.

Next steps

I’ll blog separately and in more detail about the following points:

• Find out more about the OpTIC building.
  [update: see OpTIC Technium]
• Powerpoint: what is the problem!? More importantly: what is a solution - and how can I avoid giving one of these dreadful recitations?

DTI

• Technology Strategy Board
  The DTI rep seemed to be saying that the DTI would be winding up in a matter of weeks and being replaced by the TSB. That can’t be true, surely? What is the TSB? The DTI webpage about the TSB sez:

  The Technology Strategy Board will later this year be established as an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body based in Swindon. The Technology Strategy Board will take over from DTI responsibility for the delivery of a programme of Government financial support through collaborative R&D and knowledge transfer to encourage business investment in, and use of, technology across all sectors of the UK economy.

  google: what is the technology strategy board?

• Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs)
  These sound vaguely useful. One can join as a ‘corresponding member’ for free. Join the interesting ones and lurk.
  [update: see Knowledge Transfer Networks]

FP7

• Networking
  As with the DTI’s KTNs, FP7 has a number of fora and/or portals to funding. The idea (for SMEs) seems to be to hang around in these places looking likely. Find out about:
  • idealist
  • co-ordination actions and/or support actions
  • information days
• Evaluating
  Evaluators get paid! Find out what one is, and how you can become one.

Entry posted: Friday, June 15th, 2007, 2:12 pm ; filed under TODO, Business.
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