Eleven new high-tech start-ups participate in NovaUCD’s 2008 Campus Company Development Programme
Wednesday, 02 April, 2008
AP EnvEcon, overall winner of the 2007 NovaUCD Campus Company Development Programme
NovaUCD has launched its 2008 Campus Company Development Programme (CCDP) offering eleven new high-tech and knowledge-intensive business enterprises the opportunity to bring their innovative ideas from intellectual concepts to fully developed and sound commercial business enterprises. NovaUCD is the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at University College Dublin.
The aim of the NovaUCD CCDP, which is supported by
Enterprise Ireland, is to assist UCD academic entrepreneurs in establishing new business ventures to commercialise the output of their research. Ventures participating in this year's programme are commercialising research undertaken in disciplines such as Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Bioprocess Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Physics and Physiotherapy.
Dr Pat Frain, Director, NovaUCD, said, “The establishment of new high-tech ventures is an essential element in realising the full commercial potential of the significant investment in university research and development being made by the Government. Clearly programmes such as the CCDP have a major role to play in converting research generated ideas into innovative new ventures.”
“The 675 jobs resulting from the CCDP demonstrates the potential contribution of university research to the creation of high-quality employment,” Dr Frain added.
Now in its thirteenth year, 130 companies and 190 individuals have completed this NovaUCD enterprise programme and former participants now collectively employ over 675 people. Previous participating companies include
Celtic Catalysts,
ChangingWorlds,
CRDS,
Haptica,
Locumotion and
TopChem Laboratories.
The CCDP is a nine-month, part-time programme designed to suit the busy timetable of researchers and academics. It offers a mix of monthly workshops, mentoring and one-to-one consultancy and is delivered by NovaUCD staff, with support from the NovaUCD sponsors, Enterprise Ireland, as well as other outside experts. It is designed to assist entrepreneurs in the establishment and development of knowledge-intensive enterprises by providing the skills necessary to transform ideas into commercially feasible ventures. Participants on the programme have the opportunity to access NovaUCD’s desk space and incubation facilities and associated services. The programme culminates with a high profile awards evening held in November.
