Research commercialization - What is it exactly, and more to the point, who cares?

Well, many people care, for different reasons. Government cares, and sees its role, at least in Ireland, as finding a common language to bring diverse groups together to increase the likelihood that good ideas are translated into products and services. It was precisely this holistic approach that attracted me back to Ireland after 15 years in the biotechnology industry in California. The system in Ireland is essentially a public-private partnership. It operates through a series of Enterprise Ireland (EI) programs that support everything from fundamental research through development of international markets.

I am currently charged with enabling academic researchers to participate in industry-relevant applied research. As in the United States in the aftermath of World War II, we in Ireland have recognized that the long-term success of the industrial sector, and hence the economy, depends not just on its own resources, but on a healthy public research system, and continued engagement by industry with that system. During 2007, EI invested more than €40 million in applied research projects in the academic sector, €8.5 million of which was in projects to strategically commercialize life sciences and food research in Ireland. This activity in promoting new spinoffs is bolstered by EI's investment of €175 million in the venture capital sector, which has been used by the beneficiary funds to leverage around €1 billion in additional funding.

My background as founder of a number of biotech companies has been very useful in managing EI's services. Our remit is to support strong prospects through funding, of course, but we also provide expert advice in terms of market analysis and budgeting, arrange industry connections, and help source management; in short, EI can assist with all the elements that a startup needs.

In 2007 alone EI support led to the formation of 12 new spinoff companies from academia, with five of those in the life sciences sector. An example is Eirzyme. This company has a proprietary enzyme technology that makes the production of ethanol from renewable biomass feedstock commercially viable. Founded on technology developed at the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway and a €10 million investment from Micromill System, a Canadian company, Eirzyme has set up initial R&D laboratories at the EI-funded Bioincubator facility at NUI Galway.

EI also brings industry and academia together in a variety of forums. We invested almost €23 million in these programs in 2007. One example is the Industry-Led Research Program (ILRP): In collaboration with the Irish BioIndustry Association, we work with business managers and scientists from biotechnology companies in Ireland, to identify priority areas for research. The first topics identified were biodiagnostics and bioprocess monitoring. R&D in these areas is now being carried out, on behalf of the companies by academics with expertise in sensors, microfluidics, microelectronics, biodiagnostics, and process engineering.

One challenge with industry-academia linkages comes from balancing the needs of companies to focus on the short-term bottom line, while the benefits of collaborative activity are often medium- to long-term propositions. Recognizing this, the state is working with industry to establish competence centers, which will operate with EI funding of €2 million per year over a five-year period. These centers are unique in being industry led and governed, and they offer companies an opportunity to engage in strategic research that they lack the resources to do internally. This is consistent with EI's role to focus on the long-term prospects, an essential element to developing competitiveness in a global marketplace.

Of course there are road bumps. Much of the investment in applied research does not make it to the marketplace. Many technologies leave Ireland through direct licensing or acquisitions of Irish companies. And, industry-academic relationships are not always successful - far from it!

However, economic policy in Ireland is rooted in a belief in its people. It is built on providing high-quality education, and supporting an environment where those people can develop their entrepreneurial and innovative skills at all levels of society. One of the cornerstones of a successful economy is the ability of its citizens to bring ideas to the marketplace.

Paul Roben is Director of Enterprise Ireland Bio for Lifescience and Food Commercialization.