Last week, I came across what can only be described as pure genius, if Guinness will forgive me for using that phrase.
The Irish Government has recently launched a new Irish Innovation Centre which will be a launchpad for Irish technology companies as the Emerald Isle struggles to come out of recession. And where have they based it?
Is it in Dublin or Cork or Limerick?
No, they have opened it up in San Jose, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
As a result, Irish companies can now gain access to venture firms, bankers, customers, suppliers and employees in the World's most innovative and entrepreneurial environment.
The centre also has access to the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG), which provides companies access to a “built in” network of successful Silicon Valley business executives from global technology companies such as Cisco and Intel Logitech.
Irish high-technology firms will now have a bridgehead into the heart of the US innovation community not only through access to office space, but also high level consulting, advisory services and, significantly, access to the network of individuals in industry and academia within Silicon Valley.
Most importantly, with 40 per cent of the $18 billion of US venture capital invested in Silicon Valley, the new innovation centre is also a shop window for Irish technologists looking for potential investors. As the press release for its launch stated, “Young companies who want smart money should be coming here...this is not about real estate – it’s all about access to technology, capital and connections.”
As those behind the new venture have suggested, it is critical that nations like Ireland with a good technology base make better use of their diaspora overseas, in the same way that Israel does so effectively. As one said, “We’re not going to get 30 Googles but if we got one or two we’d be very happy. You know what? That’s fine, that’s what happens in Silicon Valley all the time.”
The Irish Innovation Centre is not the only way in which the Irish are building links with arguably the most innovative region in the World. Later this year, a group of executives from Silicon Valley technology companies are heading to Limerick for the third annual “Silicon Valley Comes to Ireland” event. As part of the event, Irish companies will be given an intensive review by the visiting entrepreneurs and an opportunity to showcase their ideas to leading venture capitalists.
The question is why is Wales not doing the same? Where is the "out of the box" thinking that can begin to make a real difference to our economy?
With Wales’ richest man, Mike Moritz, running Silicon Valley’s most successful venture capital firm, one would have thought that we would have taken advantage of this link by now, especially if we could find a way to highlight the best of Welsh innovation and technology.
Why doesn't the Welsh Assembly Government, working in partnership with the university sector in Wales and some of our leading innovative companies, establish a Welsh Centre to showcase the most innovative technologies emerging from both academia and industry. Better still, why not brand it as our first Global Technium, and thus linking the centre to the network of incubators we have in Wales?
What have we got to lose by doing so?
At least it would show that we are able to take the best of Wales to the World. And imagine if we announced such a project during Ryder Cup week. It would echo around the globe and demonstrate that we are serious about recreating the economic future of this nation.
Comments
Lets see if anyone bites on this with the vision and nerve to do it - we do have some private sector organisations who may and possibly a forward thinking few academics!
WAG hasn't got 'regular Technium' right!
Technium management prefers to operate in its own 'comfort zone', that’s what one of their contractors told me.
Technium needs to be objective-results orientated. But with a ‘comfort zone’ mentality that’s not going to happen.
And who has overall responsibility for Technium? Answer: Plaid's Ieuan Wyn Jones.
Should it be surprising then that Technium was tagged in a recent audit for "failure to achieve objectives"?
There are some very simple cost effective steps that Technium management (and by default Ieuan Wyn Jones) can take to switch to an objectives/results driven approach.
But sadly, Ieuan Wyn Jones has no idea what those steps are and Technium management are left to choose 'comfort zone management' over objective-results driven management.
Thank you for the nice article - when we set up the Irish technology leadership group (www.itlg.org) three years ago, we spent a lot of time considering setting this up as the "Celtic leadership group" - there are many of us living here in Silicon valley interested in helping young start ups.. There is an open door to our Celtic cousins to the innovation center.
John Hartnett,
Founder of the ITLG and IIC
Thanks for your very useful comment. Will drop you a line later today to see whether there is any way Wales can link up with you
After all, we are the Irish who couldn't swim!!
If you would like to let me have a short paper containing your ideas on how we exploit IP to its full potential in wales, I'll see what I can do.
Fel blogiwr dyddiol, efallai bydd modd i Dylan blogio yn Gymraeg ar y wefan yma dydd Gwener?
Mae Dylan eisoes wedi blogio am fanteision y Gymraeg ar y blog yma (yn enwedig ar ol ddewis Prifysgol Bangor am is-ganghellor), ac yn Gymraeg ar blog Golwg 360.
http://www.blog-golwg360.com/category/dylan-jones-evans/
I helpu'r rhai fydd ddim yn gallu darllen erthygl Cymraeg ar y wefan blog yma, mae Google Translate yn cyfieithu'n dda iawn o Gymraeg i Saesneg.
If you would like to let me have a short paper containing your ideas on how we (can) exploit IP to its full potential in Wales, I'll see what I can do."
Opps just read your very nice reply Dylan. Perhaps I shouldn't have posted to VM's blog today on the subject of DET's grant to Cell Therapy without DET paying attention to CT having no relevant issued patents (though not mentioned CT are operating in an IP rich environment without patent cover).
As to things we could do to exploit Welsh IP to its full potential; I don't have your email to hand - I will, if that's OK, email you via your Facebook account. But in the words of Winston Churchill, "Jaw-jaw is better than war-war”. Meaning: imho, a lot more can be made out of phone calls than me writing a short paper. But after jaw-jaw we could decide on the subject matter to go into a short paper.
But here is one idea sprung from your excellent article that would arguably work better than the Irish Government’s Innovation Centre and for fewer bucks – see below.
Start an Online Welsh IP Auction House initially targeting the US patent market place
Create Welsh IP Catalogue (“WIC”) Template (In re Welsh Universities IP, which can be based on recent Welsh university publications in learned journals – so doesn’t need direct input from University of Wales research groups other than confirmations of actual inventorship and best mode
Set WIC to 1
Thread One:
Do While WIC set to 1
Perform IP audits of published journal articles on six-monthly basis to identify enabling disclosures for filing as a provisional patent application in the USA;
Draft said applications (which would include the published paper);
File said applications; and
Add filed application details to Welsh IP Catalogue
End While
Thread Two (run in parallel with Thread One)
Publish Updated WIC;
Accept Bids;
Sell Patent Apps based on highest Bid for each App; and
Remove sold and expired Apps from WIC.
Thread Three
DET Hire Welsh IP expert Dr. Christopher D. Wood (CDW) as a SpAd on US and international patent filings and running IP audits;
CDW to run work-shops/seminars all over Wales for ‘Best Ways to File Patent Apps in the USA’;
Why file first in the USA;
‘12 month grace period rule’;
What to patent, what not to patent;
Inventorship, best mode, enablement;
Provisional patent practice;
Continuation Practice;
Issues In re Direct filings at the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office);
The mindset of US Patent Examiners, recent hires verses old hands;
Importance of Personal Interviews with US patent Examiners;
Tactics at Personal Interviews; and
How to file applications for filing in Europe and elsewhere via the USPTO PCT receiving office.
If you would like to let me have a short paper containing your ideas on how we (can) exploit IP to its full potential in Wales, I'll see what I can do."
Opps just read your very nice reply Dylan. Perhaps I shouldn't have posted to VM's blog today on the subject of DET's grant to Cell Therapy without DET paying attention to CT having no relevant issued patents (though not mentioned CT are operating in an IP rich environment without patent cover).
As to things we could do to exploit Welsh IP to its full potential; I don't have your email to hand - I will, if that's OK, email you via your Facebook account. But in the words of Winston Churchill, "Jaw-jaw is better than war-war”. Meaning: imho, a lot more can be made out of phone calls than me writing a short paper. But after jaw-jaw we could decide on the subject matter to go into a short paper.
But here is one idea sprung from your excellent article that would arguably work better than the Irish Government’s Innovation Centre and for fewer bucks – see below.
Start an Online Welsh IP Auction House initially targeting the US patent market place
Create Welsh IP Catalogue (“WIC”) Template (In re Welsh Universities IP, which can be based on recent Welsh university publications in learned journals – so doesn’t need direct input from University of Wales research groups other than confirmations of actual inventorship and best mode
Set WIC to 1
Thread One:
Do While WIC set to 1
Perform IP audits of published journal articles on six-monthly basis to identify enabling disclosures for filing as a provisional patent application in the USA;
Draft said applications (which would include the published paper);
File said applications; and
Add filed application details to Welsh IP Catalogue
End While
Thread Two (run in parallel with Thread One)
Publish Updated WIC;
Accept Bids;
Sell Patent Apps based on Highest Bid for each App; and
Remove sold and expired Apps from WIC.
Thread Three
DET Hire Welsh IP expert Dr. Christopher D. Wood (CDW) as a SpAd on US and international patent filings and running IP audits;
CDW to run work-shops/seminars all over Wales for ‘Best Ways to File Patent Apps in the USA’;
Why file first in the USA;
‘12 month grace period rule’;
What to patent, what not to patent;
Inventorship, best mode, enablement;
Provisional patent practice;
Continuation Practice;
Issues In re Direct filings at the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office);
The mindset of US Patent Examiners, recent hires verses old hands;
Importance of Personal Interviews with US patent Examiners;
Tactics at Personal Interviews; and
How to file applications for filing in Europe and elsewhere via the USPTO PCT receiving office.
PS sorry if this gets posted twice ... got Hurricane Earl going by - though much weakened - bit of a damp squib to be honest, much disappointed!