16 New High-tech Ventures Commence NovaUCD’s 2009 Enterprise Support Programme

PR Log (Press Release) – Apr 09, 2009 – Sixteen new high-tech and knowledge-intensive business 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 UCD academic entrepreneurs in bringing their innovative ideas from intellectual concepts to fully developed and sound commercial business enterprises.

NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research programmes. NovaUCD also provides entrepreneurs and knowledge-based start-up companies with a comprehensive business support programme, including the CCDP, along with incubation facilities.

Ventures participating on this year's programme are commercialising research undertaken in disciplines such as Agriculture, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Physics and Veterinary Medicine.

Dr Pat Frain, Director, 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 the 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 now completed this NovaUCD enterprise programme which is supported by Enterprise Ireland. Former programme participants, which includes companies such as BiancaMed, Celtic Catalysts, ChangingWorlds, CRDS, Haptica and TopChem, now collectively employ 750 people.

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. It is delivered by NovaUCD staff, with support from the NovaUCD sponsors, Enterprise Ireland, as well as other outside experts.

It is designed to assist academic entrepreneurs 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.

Asimil8, an e-learning venture, co-founded in 2008 by Paul Groarke and Garrett Hussey was the overall winner of the NovaUCD 2008 CCDP. Asimil8 has developed a next generation learning platform to provide immersive education for languages and other subjects using virtual world and gaming technologies.  

ENDS

9 April 2009