Forum on Research and Innovation Management

Topic: Successful strategies for commercialisation and Technology

transfer

Presented by: Innocent Mandona Institution: National Technology Business Centre (NTBC) Place: Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka , ZAMBIA Date: 16th March 2017

Presentation Outline NTBC in brief

Commercialisation

Technology Transfer

Zambia’s Technology and Innovation Ecosystem

Strategies for ensuring success

Recent projects supported by NTBC

Concluding remarks

NTBC In Brief

What is the Mandate of NTBC? Generally stated, “To Promote, Market &

Transfer Technologies in Zambia” – Statutory Instrument No. 136 of 1999 pursuant to the Science & Technology Act (No. 26 of 1997)

Transfer of Technology (i.e. Technology Transfer)

& taking technology to the market (i.e. Commercialisation) are therefore central to NTBC Mandate

NTBC In Brief (Cont.)

What things does NTBC do so as to execute its Tech Transfer & Commercialization mandate?

Establish that there is demand for a new product (Technology Marketing Programme – Market Assessments, successful product launch e.t.c.)

Need to have a good grasp of the technology landscape in Zambia (Technology Audit & Validation Programme)

Nurture the business in the early stages providing take off funds & incubation (Business Development Programme)

Provision of technology Information.

WHAT IS COMMERCIALISATION?

Commercialisation: can be defined as the successful launch of a new product, process or service; of research and innovation on the market for the benefit of society. It consists of all the necessary stages of the product development life cycle; from idea generation to product development and the final launch of the product on the market

Whole picture!

The Idea

The Technology/ Product

The Market

The Business

Identify and nurture

Justify and quantify

Justify & improve

Justify and

facilitate

development of

Focus: Reduce risk of failure

WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER?

Technology Transfer: is the process of transferring Research Results/IP for implementation by Industry & Society. :is the process of making available a technology of interest to end-users through various mechanisms (licensing, Assignment) which results in the adoption and diffusion of a particular Technology Why conduct Technology Transfer? Social need for countries to solve their problems Greater accountability for spending of public funds- i.e.

institutions mandated by law need to give back to society

Economic need for countries to become innovative and to participate in the global knowledge economy- brings in competitiveness in the economy.

ZAMBIA’S TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM:

The Technology & Innovation landscape in Zambia is comprised of the private and public sector (Government and Institutions under it) organisations. The public sector includes:

• GOVERNMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS under various government ministries.

These are normally operated as research units within the ministries. Some examples are:

National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR),- Ministry of Higher Education

The Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) –Ministry of Agriculture Tropical disease and Research Centre (TDRC) – Ministry of Health • THE ACADEMIA: Comprising mostly of publicly funded Universities such as; the University of Zambia, the Copperbelt University, and Mulungushi University.

Continued……………..

The private sector (Industry )includes: Companies in various sectors of the economic conducting their own research in fields such as Agronomy, pharmaceutical, Engineering among others. Members of the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) District Business Associations (DBAs) Zambia of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI). Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFUs) Individual innovators/ researchers The above forms the triple helix ( Government, Industry & Academia) of the Zambian Technology and Innovation ecosystem.

STRATEGIES FOR ENSURING SUCCESS : COMMERCIALISATION & TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFER Creation of Strategic Partnerships Formation of strategic partnerships such as the current one between NSTC

and SARIMA, promotes the exchange of knowledge and best practices through platforms such as this forum.

NTBC during the period 2011 -2016 ; played host to the SAIS programme in Zambia and facilitated a number of knowledge exchange and capacity building programmes which included the followed:

Participation in the SAIS republic able projects, e.g. setting up technology transfer offices in Zambia, Namibia and Botswana- (implemented at the Copperbelt University), etc.

Knowledge exchange programme on management of Technology Transfer offices held in the Western Cape, South Africa

Innovation exchange platform- for technological solutions based on pre- determined challenges

Business Incubation Training SARIMA , SAIS And UK IPO, Training on Technology Transfer (Namibia &

Zambia)

Strategies ……(2) Strengthening of Intellectual property mechanisms- IP policy, IP Audit

and Protection

IP Policy: For effective management of Research and Innovation, institutions need to develop IP policies that should guide research and innovation.

IP Audit:

Taking stock of research ideas and results that have potential to create commercial values for the institutions and likely to benefit society.

IP Protection:

Safe guarding IP rights and the investment that goes into the research: Patents, Designs, Trademarks, Trade secrets, etc.

Material Transfer agreements

Allows researchers to share research materials with other scientists for research purposes, while protecting the intellectual property rights to the materials

Confidentiality agreement:

An agreement for one party to maintain the confidentiality of another party’s trade secrets. They can also be called non-disclosure agreements (NDA’s)

Strategies ……..(3)

Availability of Funding opportunities

Pre-seed and seed funding, market funding, and prototype funding

Creation of venture capital funds for R&I

Creation of opportunities through the banking sector for startups and new ventures

Revision of current models of relying on government venture capital funding

Strategies…….. (4)

Collaboration

Enhanced university industry linkages

Facilitation of Industry sponsored research activities

Promotion of R&D activities especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Enhanced coordination between government , academia and industry

Strategies……(5)

Internal Structures- Institutional Establishing R&I management practices in public and private

institutions

Structural and system flexibility in universities/ research institutions/ private sector- open innovation

Mechanisms for monitoring of commercialisation and technology transfer success in both public and private sector

Availability of technology transfer offices within universities and research institutions

Formulating income generating agendas within universities and research institutions.

RECENT PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY NTBC Fertilizer Applicator – Commercialization of a ‘walking stick

style’ device for use in applying fertilizer to replace physical hand application

The project was initially funded by NSTC.

NTBC admitted the project to the commercialistion program and has conducted various processes; further development with TDAU, Market study through out the country.

The Agricultural Productivity Program for Southern Africa (APPSA) has given the project a grant of USD 202 376 for the further development and testing of the applicator and will be implemented in four countries, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. In Zambia APPSA is a program under the Centre for Cordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa.

Physical Application of fertilizer

FERTILIZER APPLICATOR PROJECT Using the Fertilizer Applicator

PIT LATRINE DISSOLVENT POWDER Commercialisation of a powder that ‘dissolves’ pit

latrine faecal matter by converting it into charcoal like solids/ash.

Tests at University of Zambia Environmental Engineering Laboratory (active ingredients, efficacy) conducted.

ZEMA issued an environmental permit for three years.

Market assessment conducted

A trade mark registration for the product has been lodged with the Patents, and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA).

Pit Latrine Dissolvent Powder

MULTI PURPOSE PEDAL AGRO PROCESSOR

Pedal powered processor that can be used to process agricultural crops

Grinding maize, wheat

Shelling groundnuts

Grating cassava

Load shedding resistant(no electricity needed), no diesel needed

Made in Zambia thus creating jobs in Zambia!

Multi Purpose Agro Processor

48 KW SOLAR PROJECT – Tech Transfer

• A case of Technology Transfer that aims to light up 300 households, chiefs palace, a school, a clinic, and 20 shops.

• The project site is located about 750 km from Lusaka. The Zambian Electricity grid does not extend to the project location and the nearest town (Lundazi) is fed from the Malawi electricity grid.

• At commissioning stage

The Power House

Works on the grid

CONCLUDING REMARKS

It is worth looking at some of the fundamental weaknesses of the current commercialisation efforts within the university and research institutions systems, and private businesses.

Key issues which need addressing to improve commercialisation success rates include:

Ensure the availability of commercialisation funding

Strengthening government , university and industry linkages

Creating / strengthening internal structures including IP management and institutional effectiveness

Establishing a mechanism for managing and assessing the impact of R&D funding and management of various government funds