NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at University College Dublin, today announced strong commercialisation results for 2010 at the launch of its latest Annual Report. NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from research and other knowledge-intensive activity at UCD.  

 
Dr Pat Frain launching the NovaUCD 2010 Report 

During 2010 UCD researchers reported 57 new invention disclosures to the University through NovaUCD. Thirty-eight patent applications, including 14 priority, 9 PCT (patent co-operation treaty) and 15 national/regional applications were filed by the University during 2010. These patents were filed for intellectual property arising from research which took place across the University’s Colleges, Schools and Institutes. In 2010 16 licence agreements were also concluded with a range of indigenous and international companies and 9 new high-tech companies located at NovaUCD.

Speaking at the launch of the 2010 Annual Report Dr Pat Frain, Director, NovaUCD said, “NovaUCD’s continued successes during 2010 demonstrate that the public investment in R&D at UCD is yielding a significant return to the Irish economy and society.” He added, “The strengthening of UCD’s innovation strategy and the support received from Enterprise Ireland through the Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative is clearly having a significant impact on the level of knowledge transfer and commercialisation of UCD research.”

In the 7-years since NovaUCD opened 16 UCD spin-out companies have been incorporated and just under 60 high-tech and knowledge-intensive companies have located at NovaUCD and availed of NovaUCD’s support programmes and services. Over 320 inventions have been disclosed by UCD researchers, over 100 priority patent applications have been filed and over 70 licence agreements have been completed since 2004.

Dr Frain concluded, “Given the success of many of NovaUCD’s client companies the establishment of facilities, adjacent to UCD, to house second stage high-tech companies is now a major priority. Such facilities would enable UCD and these companies to develop long term strategic partnerships which are essential for the generation of collaborative research, licensing and other commercial opportunities.”

Thirty-six innovative companies, including Celtic Catalysts recently presented with a 2011 Irish Times InterTradeIreland Innovation Award (Application of R&D), are now located at NovaUCD. These companies currently have over 200 staff based at NovaUCD.

Click here for the NovaUCD 2010 Annual Report.

ENDS

6 April 2011

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, NovaUCD, t: +353 1 716 3712, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.

Editors Notes

Companies which located at NovaUCD during 2010 include HeyStaks Technologies, ServiceFrame and Tethras Technologies. 

HeyStaks Technologies is a social web-search company founded by Dr Peter Briggs, Dr Maurice Coyle and Professor Barry Smyth as a spin-out from the CLARITY Centre for Sensor Web Technologies at UCD. ServiceFrame, founded by Traoloch Collins and Daniel Berman, provides software-as-a-service to enable companies evaluate, manage and govern their strategic outsourcing environments. Tethras Technologies, established by Brian Farrell and Brendan Clavin, assists mobile app developers to grow their businesses through its innovative localisation service.

NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, is the hub of innovation and knowledge transfer activities at University College Dublin. NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with industry and business. NovaUCD as a purpose-built centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx.  www.ucd.ie/nova