Nova UCD launches 2009 enterprise support programme

Sixteen new high-tech ventures, involving 35 researchers, are taking part in NovaUCD’s 2009 enterprise support programme. The NovaUCD 2009 Campus Company Development Programme (CCDP), which has just commenced, assists University College Dublin academic entrepreneurs to bring ideas from intellectual concepts to fully developed and commercial business enterprises.

NovaUCD is the technology transfer arm responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research programmes. It also provides entrepreneurs and start-ups with business support programmes, including the CCDP, along with incubation facilities.

Ventures taking part in this year’s programme are commercialising research undertaken in disciplines including agriculture, bioinformatics, computer science, education, engineering, physics and veterinary medicine.

Pat Frain, Director of NovaUCD, said, “The CCDP is NovaUCD’s main enterprise support programme.  It is designed specifically to assist academic entrepreneurs in establishing new high-tech and knowledge-intensive ventures to commercialise innovative ideas arising from UCD’s research programmes.”  He added, “Such new ventures are now of critical importance as they form the backbone of the government’s vision for Ireland’s economic future and the building of a smart economy.”

Now in its fourteenth year, over 140 ventures and 210 individuals have completed the NovaUCD enterprise programme, which is supported by Enterprise Ireland. Former participants, which include companies such as BiancaMed, Celtic Catalysts, ChangingWorlds, CRDS, Haptica and TopChem, now collectively employ 750 people.

CCDP is a nine-month, part-time programme designed to suit the timetables of researchers and academics. It offers a mix of monthly workshops, mentoring and one-to-one consultancy. It is delivered by NovaUCD staff, with support from the NovaUCD sponsors, Enterprise Ireland, as well as other outside experts.