YEAR Annual Conference 2011

The objective of this YEAR conference is to introduce the young European researchers in the most important aspects to consider when they have been hired by a company, to conduct a research project.

“Getting your research funded by private companies”

The conference program has been organized following the life of an under contract research project “from the cradle to the grave”. Which means, that start with the companies point of view, what do they expect when hiring a research center, follow by the commercial aspects “how to get a contract” and cover all the main issues that may concern a young researcher (intellectual property rights, writing hints, what can you do with the results after the project is over) trough out the life of a project.

In order to make this more visible to the young researches, visits to two of the most important facilities in the area are planned. Visits to the Airbus A400M Final Assembly Line and the Abengoa Solucar Solar Platform.

The conference will be completed with a workshop, where the task is to solve a technological problem provided by a company. Participants will be divided into multi disciplinary and national teams. Best work will be awarded.

Location:  AICIA, Sevilla, Spain

Program:

Wednesday 23.2.2011

09:00-09:30 Registration and welcome
09:30-10:00 Welcome statement

10:00-11:30 The Enterprise point of view
What do they want when hiring a research center

11:30-12:15 Coffee break
12:15-13:15 Commercial aspects
Getting a contract

• How to find enterprises interested on innovation
• Public programs that fund the companies when hiring a research center
• Speakers:
  • Eva Pérez (IAT - Instituto Andaluz de Tecnología): “PYmera Network and how to involved SMEs in research projects”
  • Pedro Moneo (OPINNO - Open Innovation Incubator): “Making business out of technology”

13:30-15:00 Lunch
15:00-16:00 Contract negotiation
What would be the aspects to which a researcher would have to pay more attention when negotiating a contract.

• Budget
• Property rights, patenting, Non-disclosure agreements
• Changes along the way. Renegotiation
• Conditions and liability
• Speakers
  • Anne Lalagüe (SINTEF)
  • Salvador Sánchez Quiles (CLARKEMODET Intellectual properties rights)

16:00-16:30 Break
16:30-17:00 Writing skills
There are differences between writing for scientific publications and projects memories or report. Most of the young researcher have already participate in scientific publications but not on private funded projects reports. The object of this section is to emphasize the difference between them.

• Offers
• Reports
• What to put in report? Liability
• How to deal with unexpected results?
• Speaker: Stefan Webb (RTD-Services)

17:00-17:30 After the Project is over

• "How to convert a research result in a marketable industrial secret"
• Speaker: Pedro Rodriguez (Universidad Politecnica de Cataluña)

17:30-18:00 Project Management

• Budget and effort control
• Traceability of the documentation
• How to deal with your customer during the project?
• Speaker: Rainer Svacinka (RTD-Services)

Thursday 24.3.2011

Company visits
10:00 Departure from AICIA
10:30-13:00 Visit to the Airbus A400M airplane final assembly line
13:00-16:00 Transfer and lunch
16:00-18:00 Visit to the Solucar Solar Power Plant

Friday 25.3.2011

09:30-14:00 Company case

• Description
  • A company will be invited to provide the workshop with 1-2 challenges/problems that may relate to different topics (R&D, marketing, product concept, etc.)
  • The workshop participant group will be divided into two or more teams that will work on the problem for the day and come up with a initial solution (e.g. idea for a development project, business or marketing plan, etc.) that will be presented at the workshop
  • Speakers of the conference, organisers as well as the company representative(s) will work as mentors for the teams during the day
  • The task will be also organized as a competition between the teams
  • Best team will be awarded at the workshop dinner
  • Benefits for the company: 40-50 researchers or equivalent will be working for a full day on the problem(s), multidisciplinary perspective, different cultural/national perspective.
  • Benefits for the participant: Hands-on approach; solving a problem for a company, working in a multidisciplinary team with a tight schedule, receiving advice from the mentors (=expert in specific area of business/research/leadership).
• The overall objective of the workshop
  • Company case solved
  • Networking (people from different research organisations have actually worked together for half-a-day and get to know each other a bit better)

14:00-Closing lunch