In a world where success in many corporations depends on their ability to produce technology innovations better and faster than their competitors, industry has become increasingly reliant on the technology expertise and associated IP found in university labs – and universities are competing hard to fill their pipelines. Technology Scouting is an essential component of this process – often, it’s the starting point for developing crucial corporate technology assets and patents, and universities who want to score partnerships and patent licensing deals must have a good grasp of this critical role within the businesses they work with.
Technology scouts identify technologies and researchers of interest, evaluate their fit with the company’s strategic objectives, and build relationships and collaborations with universities to help fuel their innovation engines. The key question for universities is: How can you ensure your innovative technologies and scientists are within the sight lines of collaborative companies?
That’s why we are producing this insider’s look at tech scouting featuring two Brown University commercialization leaders along with Dow, Inc. technology scout Liz Dhulst and Robert Ashcraft, a 10-year veteran of the Open Innovation team for the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology.
You’ll hear from both sides of the fence – what corporations are looking for in a partner, and how universities can position themselves to meet those needs. Our expert presenters will detail their unique approaches to tech scouting both from a university and an industry perspective. Here’s a brief look at the agenda:
- Understanding the dynamics of effective university/industry relations for research and commercialization
- How Brown University engages with leading high-tech companies and their tech scouts
- Dissecting the Samsung model for tech scouting and university research collaborations:
- Samsung GRO
- Ad Hoc collaborations
- Cluster Projects
- The Dow approach towards external technology scouting including university engagement and collaboration
- Common mistakes and disconnects
- How tech scouts evaluate potential synergies and opportunities
You’ll come away with proven strategies and new ideas for attracting prospective partners and licensees.
Meet your session leaders:
Neil Veloso
Executive Director
Brown Technology Innovations
Neil Veloso is the most senior officer at Brown University focused on commercializing Brown innovations through new venture creation, industry collaborations, and licensing with strategic partners. Neil has spent two decades at the intersection of academic research, healthcare and commercialization with senior roles at Brown University, Johns Hopkins University and Cleveland Clinic.
Brian Demers
Director of Business Development
Brown Technology Innovations
Brian Demers is an executive leader with proven results in developing and managing new business and technology ventures. Early in his career, Brian co-founded and was Vice President of Engineering at ViaDSP which was acquired by NMS Communications, A Brown alumnus, Brian joined Brown Technology Innovations in 2012.
Liz Dhulst
External Technology Scout
Dow, Inc.
Liz Dhulst is an external technology scout with responsibilities to find and evaluate technologies and opportunities that complement Dow’s robust Research & Development pipeline and have the potential to contribute to the company’s long-term success. After obtaining her PhD in Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University, Liz joined Dow in 2017 as a research scientist in Core R&D and took responsibilities in tech scouting last year.
Robert Ashcraft
Director of Open Innovation
Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology
Rob is part of the North America Open Innovation team supporting the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), an early-stage R&D center in Samsung Electronics. His responsibilities include a combination of technology scouting, R&D strategy, university relations, and startup engagement for the purposes of discovering new impactful research themes, identifying external solutions to R&D challenges, and building a robust network of scientific collaborators. Rob joined SAIT in 2012 following post-doctoral research at Ghent University in Belgium. He holds PhD and BS degrees in chemical engineering from MIT and NC State, respectively.
