Northern Ireland Science Park Annual Report 01

8/11/2019 Northern Ireland Science Park Annual Report 01

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/northern-ireland-science-park-annual-report-01 1/28

www.nispconnect.org

CREAT

CREATIVE

STARTUPS

ATIVE

BUSINES

D

M E D I A O N S UME R

NTERNET

I N T E R N E T

TECHNO OGY ELECTRO

NGINEERING

G I N E E R I

E N GI NE

E R I N G

AG

AGRI-FOODROTOTYPI

PS S

F

LIFE

INVSTARTUPS

HEALTH

DIGITA

NTERPRISE

ENTERP

SOFTWARE

S O F T W A R E

S O F

T W A R E

INNOVATIONPING

C O

L L A B O R A T I O

N

ENEURSHIP

INNING

ECONOMYKNOWLEDGE

WLEDGE

D E V E L O

GROWTH

ANNUAL

CATALYSINGINNOVATION



HRH DUKE OF YORK

WELCOMED 1ST MAJOR

LOCAL DONATION TO NISP

TRUST, FROM TG EAKINSEN. GEORGE MITCHELL

BECAME US PATRON

FOR THE NISP TRUST

N E W

P R O G R A M M E :

>£1M CONTRIBUTED IN

VOLUNTEER HOURS & MEMBERFEES FOR UNDER £180K PUBLIC

INVESTMENT

2,000 EVENT

ATTENDEES 474 EARLY STAGE VENTURES& WANTREPRENEURS

ENGAGED WITH NISP

CONNECT PROGRAMMES

HIGHLY EXPERIENCED

NEW TEAM MEMBER: JOHN

KNAPTON, SPRINGBOARD

DIRECTOR

IT WAS AGOOD YEARAT ...

£1M

2 , 0 0

0

“The CONNECT programme has been successful in developing a supportive ecosystem to help

companies develop in the technology and innovation sectors. This is important because hitherto

the lack of a successful innovation system has been identified as one of the key constraints on theNI economy.”

An Evaluation of Year 3 of NISP CONNECT – by PwC, Jan 2014



...AND FORNORTHERNIRELAND

G R E A T N E W

S :

N O R T H E R N I R E

L A N D ’ S

K N O W L E D G E

E C O N O M Y I S G

R O W I N G

F A S T E R T H A N T H E U K *

2009 31,408

2010 32,389

2011 33,370

6.2%

2.5%

2009 1,628,417

2010 1,634,780

2011 1,668,730

EMPLOYMENT IN

THE KNOWLEDGE

ECONOMY

UNITED KINGDOM

NORTHERN IRELAND

FROM OBSERVER TECHPUBLICATION FEATURE:

SILICON

ROUNDABOUT

AND BEYOND:

THE BEST BRITISH

TECH STARTUPS

* S o u r c e : K n o w l e d g e E c o n o m y I n

d e x R e p o r t 2 0 1 3 – i n d e p e n d e n t l y p r o d u c e d

b y N I C E P & O x f o r d E c o n o m i c s



THE VISION, TARGETS AND BLOCKERS WERE CROWDSOURCED

AT A CONFERENCE INVOLVING 35 OF NORTHERN IRELAND’S KEY

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY STAKEHOLDERS IN FEBRUARY 2012

THE VISION

THE VISION

WE BELIEVE IN…THE TRANSFORMATION OF NORTHERN IRELANDINTO ONE OF THE MOST ENTREPRENEURIAL

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMIES IN EUROPE BY 2030

THE NISP CONNECT MODEL HAS

FINALLY CLICKED IN RECENT MONTHS

SO NOW THE CHALLENGE IS TO SCALE

WHAT WE ARE DOING.

WE KNOW THE PLAN.

WE NEED TOCONCENTRATEON JUSTONECRITICALSUCCESSFACTORTHIS YEARTO BE ONTRACK TOACHIEVE

OUR VISION:FUNDING!



[5]

N I S P C O N N E C T A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 3 / 1 4

C a t a l y s i n g I n n o v a t i o n

CRITICALSUCCESS FACTORS

EACH YEAR OUR LEADERSHIP BOARD IDENTIFIESTHE 1-5 PRIORITY SUCCESS FACTORS THAT NISP

CONNECT MUST ADDRESS IF WE ARE TO STAY ON

TRACK WITH ACHIEVING OUR VISION.WE SET SOME CHALLENGING SUCCESS FACTORS LAST YEAR. SO HOW DID WE PERFORM?

FUNDING

Achieve private funding target

agreed with DETI that will lead to

the independence and sustainability

of NISP CONNECT while ensuringthe diversity of competence in its

direction.

• Income targets for membership and sponsorship revenues

achieved but we came in under target of raising £2M into the NISP

Trust.

KNOWLEDGE

ECONOMY ADVOCACY

Develop and execute an advocacy

strategy based on the findings of

Knowledge Economy Index and

stakeholder analysis so that critical

public policy interventions are

implemented when required.

• Successfully influenced the Department of Enterprise, Trade and

Investment’s (DETI) Innovation Strategy to:

- Adopt Knowledge Economy Index metrics as key indicators.

- Increase key targets in the Innovation Strategy.

- Prioritise the importance of culture as a ‘Key Blocker’.

• Following the extensive advocacy efforts on risk capital in 2013,

Steve Orr has been invited onto the steering group for DETI

research into the Future of Venture Capital, Private Equity and

Growth Finance in Northern Ireland.

• Steve Orr invited to represent Northern Ireland on the Tech City

Clusters Alliance initiative hosted by Tech City CEO Joanna

Shields, including meetings at Buckingham Palace and 10

Downing Street.

SPRINGBOARD

SPRINGBOARD is the most valuable

service a community can provide to

its entrepreneurs given the diversity

of competence and network that can

be leveraged. SPRINGBOARD must be

improved to become recognised as the

elite programme for science and tech

entrepreneurs in NI by March 2014.

• Hired experienced industry expert and venture capitalist John

Knapton to lead the programme.

• Developed SPRINGBOARD as a key partner in the global

SPRINGBOARD+ programme, integrating with its pool of mentors,

domain experts and market experts.

COMMUNICATIONS

Create a buzz about Northern

Ireland’s science and tech scene

by telling the stories of the

entrepreneurs and research rock

stars in Northern Ireland achieving

success and developing exciting

products to key audiences at home

and abroad.

• Launched TechWatch as a multimedia tech blog showcasing a hot

NI sci-tech startup each week.

• Created new social and digital media resources, including a

dedicated full-time coordinator.

• Achieved recognition for Belfast / NI as one of the Observer Tech

Monthly’s eight prime UK tech regions.

UNIVERSITY

INTEGRATION

Achieve integration of key faculty

and students into NISP CONNECT

programmes annually.

• NISP CONNECT acknowledges that much more needs to be done

to support Northern Ireland’s third level students and academics,

and to provide value to their business outreach.

2 0 1 3 / 1 4



You can feel a buzz in Northern Ireland now. There is a new confidence in the stride

of our entrepreneurs as if they are finally realising how damn good they are.

Most importantly you can see a culture of collaboration becoming pervasive

throughout our innovation community. It is a privilege to provide a platform for

our most experienced, successful and connected people to support the

most promising. I am constantly amazed by the level of talent and generous

participation that is given to helping our entrepreneurs become successful…

preferably disgustingly successful. We have always had an experimental, iterative

approach to developing our programmes in support of NI’s entrepreneurs.

Recently, everything has really started to align.

Now collaboration at scale is going to be the critical challenge if we are to realise

our vision. We have been inviting local stakeholders to collaborate and offered

our help in facilitation. The reaction so far has been very encouraging.

The Northern Irish people have been changing the world for

over 400 years. That is who we are and what our identity

must become again. We create. We INVENT.

WE LEAD, WE DO NOTFOLLOW. LET’S MAKE THISHAPPEN, TOGETHER.

Steve Orr Director

FOR NISP CONNECT IT HAS ALWAYS BEENABOUT RESULTS NOT RHETORIC SO IT ISREALLY EXCITING TO SEE THE PROGRESSMADE IN NORTHERN IRELAND OVER THELAST TWELVE MONTHS.

The news and statistics place NI as one of the hottest tech regions

in the UK. We’re seeing continuing growth from our pool of science

and technology companies creating products with global potential.

I’m not known as someone who congratulates governments easily,

but I have also been impressed with how the Department of

Enterprise, Trade and Investment has listened to our advocacy

work on its Innovation Strategy for Northern Ireland, raising

targets and adjusting priorities in response to our feedback.

To the mentors, volunteers and collaborators who already

commit their time and resources to make NISP CONNECT

possible, thank you. My time as Chair of NISP CONNECT has

genuinely been a joy. But a great start is just that. If we are to

realise our vision we need to raise our game much further and

scale what we do. We need more organisations to get involved

and recognise their shared duty to support this cause.Chris Horn

Chair



WE ARE

STEVE ORRDIRECTOR

TRUDY PARRYSPECIAL EVENTS

& PROGRAMME

CO-ORDINATOR

PETER EDGAR25K AWARDS

CO-FOUNDERS

WANTED!

FRONTIERS IN SCIENCE

& TECHNOLOGY

INNOVATION FOUNDER

AWARD

US–NI MENTORSHIP

PROGRAMME

JOHN KNAPTONSPRINGBOARD

DIRECTOR

CLAIRE BURGOYNEGENERATION

INNOVATION

FRAMEWORKS

VC FORUM

NI KNOWLEDGE

ECONOMY INDEX

LEADERSHIP BOARD CHRIS HORN,NISP CONNECT

STEVE ORR,NISP CONNECT

NORMAN APSLEY,NISP

PHILIP MAGUIRE,NISP

JOEL FERGUSON,AFBI

TIM BRUNDLE,ULSTER INNOVATIONS

HUGH MCKENNA,UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

GAVIN CAMPBELL,BOMBARDIER

ALEC MCRITCHIE,BOMBARDIER

ALAN TAYLOR,ARTHUR COX

KEVIN KINGSTON,DANSKE BANK

RORY CLARKE,DANSKE BANK

JAMES HAUGHEY,NORBROOK LABS

HUGH CORMICAN,CIRDAN IMAGING

NEASA QUIGLEY,CARSON MCDOWELL

CHRIS GUY,MILLS SELIG

SCOTT RUTHERFORD,QUB

FRANK BRYAN,QUBIS

TONY GALLAGHER,QUB

JULIE-ANN O’HARE,BANK OF IRELAND

ALAN WATTS, HALO

[7]



MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERSHIP

PLATINUM £10K

GOLD £5K

SILVER £2K

MEMBERSHIPTOGETHER WE CAN GROWTHE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY.THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS ARE

MAKING A BIG CONTRIBUTION TO

THE REALISATION OF OUR 2030

VISION, BY BEING MEMBERS OF

NISP CONNECT.A BIG

THANK

YOUFRO

M US!

2013/14



PROGRAMMES

P R O G R A M M E S

OUR TEAM MOBILISES AN ARMY OF SMART PEOPLE TO

VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME IN DELIVERING OUR PROGRAMMES.

EACH PROGRAMME IS TAILORED TO SUPPORT A DIFFERENT

STAGE IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY BUT THEY

SHARE ONE KEY ACTIVITY: CONNECTING THE MOST

TALENTED PEOPLE WITH THE MOST EXPERIENCED.

“Al wa ys pu t ting the needs of th

e en trepreneur firs t, NISP CO

NNEC T has crea ted an incred

ible

resource for technolog y s tar tu

ps in Nor thern Ireland. The y p

ro vide a unique oppor tuni t y to

collabora te and learn from a brillian

t peer group of e xperienced te

chnical and business people i

n

a safe and suppor ti ve en viron

men t a t a time in the life of your compan y where t

his kno wledge and

guidance can hugel y impro ve

your chances of success.”

Ronan Cunningham, Founder o f B

anba tech and a NISP CONN

EC T En trepreneur-in-Resid

ence



PROGRAMMES

SPRING

PROGRAMMES

John Knapton has assumed the role of

SPRINGBOARD Director as of April 2014,

taking responsibility for making SPRINGBOARD

the flagship programme in Northern Ireland,

for the commercialisation of innovation.

At the end of March, John spent a week in San

Diego working with the founders of CONNECT,

in order to maximise the value provided by the

programme in Northern Ireland.

John has already made some significant changes

to the process to maximise both throughput

and quality of participants, and to deliver on the

“6.5 times more likely to succeed” established

programme outcome metric. The number of EiRs

supporting the programme has also increased

from 23 last year to a current total of 30,

with further substantial expansion planned.

The number of new applicants in the last two

months demonstrates a very positive outlook.

10 companies

graduated from

SPRINGBOARD

this year, afurther increase

on the previous

year. It is worth

reviewing progress

to date since the start

of the programme

2½ years ago:

John Knapton,

SPRINGBOARD

Director

TOUGH LOVE

FOR STARTUPS

>400 jobs supported*

*Including multiplier effect

23 graduates to date

85 applications

15 in process

>£4M invested

>70 new jobs directly created

1 0

C O M PA N

I E S

G RA D UA

T E D



OARD N I S P C O N N E C T A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 3 / 1 4


SPRINGBOARD also held its first Panel outside Belfast

when Sensum presented to a Panel at

Tech City in London in December.

Together with a select number of international CONNECT

programme managers, CONNECT San Diego is constructing

SPRINGBOARD+, a global implementation of SPRINGBOARD

that will leverage resources around the world, to the benefit

of SPRINGBOARD participants. NISP CONNECT has been

recognised as the English speaking, European beachhead

for US companies looking to establish a European presence

and an integral part of establishing SB+. This initiative will

also provide tremendous breadth of experience to Northern

Ireland companies seeking a share of the global market.

REVISED PROGRAMME’SUSPS HAVE BEENIDENTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Proven to deliver internationallyover 20 years.

2. Content specifically tailored to

address identified “gaps” within

each applicant company.

3. Expeditious, in-business format

minimises disruption.

4. Network of global resources

available on demand through

SPRINGBOARD+.5. Develops sound

commercialisation strategy and

tactics.

6. Diversity of competency (EiRs,

experts).

7. Follow-on “Capital Competition”

nurtures funding of working

capital.

8. Provides real “investor-ready”

companies.

9. 6.5x reduction of go-to-market

risk.

[11]

John Knapton, SPRINGBOARD Director

WELCOME TOTHE TEAM!

John is a Chartered Director Ambassador

and qualified executive coach, with over 25

years’ experience in sales, marketing and

international business development, within the

technology sector. His experience ranges from

launching startups to managing growth within

multi-national conglomerates. He has worked at

board level with industry leaders and developed

an international network, having lived, worked and

travelled globally.

SPRINGBOARD rema

ins the flagship of e ver y thing C

ONNEC T s tands for. Ha ving be

en on

the team since our earl y da ys in 2011, Meagan B

lan ton took the SPRINGBOAR

D helm in

2013 bu t sadl y we had to sa y

fare well a fe w mon ths la ter wh

en she mo ved back home to

California. We miss her lo ts b

u t she is al wa ys in touch.

Meagan Blan ton



PROGRAMMES

SPRINGBOARD

CONGRATULATIONS,SPRINGBOARDGRADUATES OF 2013-14

STEERINGTEAM

ALAN WATTS, HALO

ANDREW WALMSLEY,

EIR REPRESENTATIVE

DES SPEED,

EIR REPRESENTATIVE

TOM GRIFFITHS,EIR REPRESENTATIVE

CAROLINE MCGORAN,

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

JENNIFER FERGUSON,

ARTHUR COX

KERRY MCCORKELL,

TUGHANS

CHRIS GUY, MILLS SELIG

DAWN MCKNIGHT,CARSON MCDOWELL

IAN BEATTY, DANSKE BANK

AARON STEWART, PWC

“NISP CONNEC T is a

grea t facili ta tor for young com

panies. I ts SPRINGBOARD

programme helped SiSaf to de velop a s trong bus

iness s tra teg y and i t helped m

e es tablish

impor tan t con tac ts wi thin Nor

thern Ireland’s business and

in ves tor communi t y. I can sa y

wi thou t hesi ta tion tha t wi thou

t NISP CONNEC T SiSaf would

no t be where i t is toda y.”

Suzanne Sa f fie-Sieber t, Fo

under & CEO, SiSa f

SOME OF THIS YEAR’S GRADUATES

SENSUMGawain Morrison

EiR: Ronan Cunningham,

Stephen Houston

Advertising analytics.

AMELIOCatherine O’Neil

EiR: Ronan Cunningham

Novel engineered drainage

solution.

KOMODO

Gerard McBreenEiR: Les Curran

Tablet-based maths tutor.

PURE MARINEPaul Brewster

EiR: Andrew Walmsley

Wave energy generation.

ROTORDiarmuid Moloney

EiR: Eoin Lambkin

Web-based creative media

for music videos.



CO-FOUNDERS N I S P C O N N E C T A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 3 / 1 4


[13]

Co-Founders Wanted! provides evening events every

few months, each for a different industry sector. A

handpicked audience of 55 potential co-founders saw

pitches from founders of 21 new companies before

mixing over beer and pizzas.

Co-Founders Wanted! has developed into an essential

component of a founder’s journey. One of the big

challenges for startups is gathering the right team to

build and launch a product, and Co-Founders Wanted!

helps establish connections for founders. Over the year

two founders were able to recruit teams through the

programme.

STEERING TEAM BRIAN BAIRD, CHAIRMAN

ANDREW WOODS, CATAGEN

KATHRYN WALLS, MILLS SELIG

STEPHEN O’KANE, PWC

JASON JOHNSTON,

CARSON MCDOWELL

MICHAEL ROBINSON, AFBIKARLA DOOEY, ARTHUR COX

GABRIELLE MCARDLE,

BANK OF IRELAND

JOHN MACRAE,


VINCENT FARRELLY, QUB

CO-FOUNDERS WANTED! EXISTS TO HELP

EARLY-STAGE COMPANIES BUILD STRONG

FOUNDING TEAMS. A BIG PUSH IS NEEDED

FOR MORE POTENTIAL CO-FOUNDERS!

ENGINEERING

LIFE & HEALTH

TECHNOLOGY

SECTORS COVERED:



25K A

In 2013, innovation’s biggest night was even bigger

than ever, with over 500 attendees at the 25k

Awards in Titanic Belfast. This celebration of tech

entrepreneurship was the end of several months of

competition from dozens of new product companies

submitted by our FE institutions.

In early 2014, following continuous growth and

success, the 25k Awards was fully upgraded and

reborn as:

THE SEARCFOR THE NE

BIG THING

PROGRAMMES

PROGRAMMES

Official sponsor

The new INVENT has a wider remit, now accepting

applicants from outside the academic institutions,

as well as greater prizes and advanced support for

applicants.

More at: http://invent2014.co



ARDST

[15]



-PROAXSIS

Queen’s University Belfast

ProAxsis has created tests that would enable routine

monitoring of patients with chronic conditions

such as cystic fibrosis, either within the clinic or at

home. ProAxsis developed small molecule, peptide-

based inhibitors (Protease-Tags) that serve both

as a means to trap active proteases and to provide

a visual readout of their presence in biological

samples, with applications to protease biomarker

identification.

“WE WERE DELIGHTED TO BE THE

OVERALL WINNERS OF THE 2013

NISP CONNECT 25K AWARD, AS THIS

HAS REALLY ACTED AS A CATALYST

FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR

COMPANY, PROAXSIS. THE RESULTANT

PR HAS ENABLED US TO ATTRACT

ADDITIONAL AND SUBSTANTIVE

EXTERNAL INVESTMENT, WHICH WILL

ENSURE COMPANY GROWTH”.

Dr Lorraine Martin, Founder of ProAxsis and Senior Lecturer

in Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s

University Belfast

2 0 1 3

T O P T E N

F I N A L I S T S

£25kO VERA

LL

WINNER

20 13

Official sponsor

HIGH TECH

CATEGORY WINNER

-EYE-C-3D

University of Ulster

High resolution camera designed to picture the back

of the eye in three dimensions, to deliver cost-effective

imaging and telemedicine for eye disease.

-XPRESS LF


Producing a tyre pressure monitoring system that

uses a smartphone as an activation tool in response to

European legislative changes requiring all cars to be

installed with TPMS.

-

NITE RIDERUniversity of Ulster

Accessory to enable motorcyclists to see further

at night, with the aim of reducing the number of

individuals killed or seriously injured on our roads.

SPONSORED BY



BIO TECH

25K A

PROGRAMMES

PROGRAMMES

CATEGORY WINNER + OVERALL WINNER

-

PROAXSIS


Developing a range of novel diagnostic tests that will

enable routine monitoring of patients with chronic

conditions such as cystic fibrosis, either within the

clinic or at home.

-JENARRON THERAPEUTICS


Novel hydrogel drug delivery product that, when

applied to an open wound or laceration, results in

painless suturing with improved clinical outcomes and

a superior patient experience.

-DIGITEASE


Rheumatoid arthritis care and treatment for the hand

through an intelligent wearable data glove system that

quantifies finger joint stiffness and range of movement.

CATEGORY WINNER

-LIOPA


Bringing a novel mobile biometric speaker verification

solution to market that can verify user identity by analysing

their viseme profile, a unique biometric characteristic that canhelp prevent theft and identity fraud.

-COLUMBUS


Real-time personal travel assistant that provides public

transport users with dynamic, up-to-the-minute information

about their travel plans using powerful new mathematics andnetwork analysis.

CATEGORY WINNER

-

ADFERTECH


Low cost, bolt-on device for anaerobic digestion plants

whereby nutrients contained within the waste are

concentrated and processed to form organic granular

fertiliser.

-INKINTELLIGENT


Several patented inks that change colour rapidly when

deposited onto a self-cleaning surface using, say, a

marker pen. These are ideal for marketing and quality

control of self-cleaning materials.

CLEAN TECH

DIGITAL MEDIA & SOFTWARE

SPONSORED BYSPONSORED BY

SPONSORED BY



ARDS

[17]



2 0 1 3

T

O P T W E L V E

F

I N A L I S T S

We found the 25k A wa

rds to be an e xhilara ting and

re warding e xperience. I t reall y

helped us focus on our offering and the marke t f

or our technolog y. Since winni

ng the

Sof t ware and Digi tal Media ca

tegor y we sho wcased Liopa a t

Mobile World Congress

and are no w working on our fi

rs t commercial engagemen t

Da vid Crozier, Co-Founder

o f Liopa and Technical Marke ting Manager, CSI T

STEERINGTEAM RONAN CUNNINGHAM,

BANBATECH

NEASA QUIGLEY, CARSON MCDOWELL

NEIL BUCHANAN, FLISH

PAUL DONACHY, QUB

JENNIFER COOK, UNIVERSITY OF

ULSTER


ADRIAN O’CONNELL, TUGHANS

DAVID BROWNLEE, HSC

MICHAEL ROBINSON, AFBI

LYNSEY MALLON, ARTHUR COX

NIAMH GRIFFIN, BANK OF IRELAND

PREVIOUSWINNERS2012 – MOF TECHNOLOGIES

2011 – FLISH2010 – LENISAER

2009 – TACTILITY FACTORY

2008 – AFFYON NETWORKS

(TITAN IC SYSTEMS)

2007 – SOPHIA



PROGRAMMES

STEERINGTEAM ADRIAN O’CONNELL, TUGHANS

HENRY CLEARY, BANK OF IRELAND

DAVID CROFT, DANSKE BANK


LYNSEY MALLON, ARTHUR COX

DAVID MOORE, QUBIS

NEASA QUIGLEY,

CARSON MCDOWELL

FRAMEWORKS

289ATTENDEE

S

2013

ATTENDEES

2013

The Frameworks education series was as

popular as ever. The programme provides

free morning seminars for entrepreneurs and

“wantrepreneurs” to learn business practice

and hear war stories directly from the veterans.

We will be bringing Frameworks on tour

throughout NI in the coming year.

289 attendees at 16 Frameworks Events

289

Our members told us that not enough was being done to tell the world about

the exciting new products being developed in Northern Ireland. To answer

this challenge we launched TechWatch, a new online channel that provides a

showcase of our hottest ventures and the entrepreneurs behind them.

Since launch in September 2013, 22 companies were profiled in the first fewmonths of TechWatch, which received over 35,000 hits online.

TECHWATCH

The programme continues well, with NISP CONNECT as a

programme delivery partner alongside The American Ireland Funds.

NISP CONNECT’s contribution is largely via the volunteer efforts of

Joanne Stuart (Attrus). Participating companies include: Bank of

America, Coca-Cola, KPMG, NYeC, Teneo, CIBC, HBO, Moet Hennessy,

PwC, and UBS.

US-NI MENTORSHIP(AFFILIATE PROGRAMME)

STEERING

TEAM

JOANNE STUART, ATTRUS

FOUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF

DECLAN KELLY

SUPPORTED BY THE

AMERICAN IRELAND FUND





[19]

TOPIC PANELLISTS MAIN SPEAKER #ATTENDED

The VC ProcessStephen Houston, Sophia

Drew O’Sullivan, InterTradeIreland

Alastair Keith & Ivan

Waide, A&L Goodbody8

ExitsGary Hamilton, Omiino

Aidan Langan, Enterprise Equity

Lynsey Mallon, Arthur

Cox13

Licensing

Matthew Forde, Forde Campbell

Oliver Lennon, SpeechStorm

Danny McCaughan, Kernel Capital

Rory Campbell, Forde

Campbell20

Art of the Term SheetDes Speed, PathXL


Neasa Quigley, Carson

McDowell

26

CrowdfundingAlan Watts, Halo

Chris McClelland, BrewbotLuke Lang, CrowdCube 50

Entrepreneur + Equity = GrowthMichael Black, Intel

Gawain Morrison, SensumAlan Watts, Halo 20

Stock OptionsBob McGowan-Smyth, Crescent Capital

David Patterson, SophiaColin Piggott, PwC 13

IP: Tactics for Startups Cherrie Stewart & Marie Walsh, AnsonsCherrie Stewart &

Marie Walsh, Ansons20

Entrepreneur + Equity = Growth

(CIDO)

Michael Black, Intel

Danny Turley, Performa Sports Alan Watts, Halo 15

Selling AbroadJonny McClintock, CSR

Brian Cummings, Enterprise Equity

Henry Cleary, Bank of

Ireland10

SBRI masterclass (UU, Magee

campus)

Lorraine Acheson, Acheson Consulting

Ronan Cunningham, BanbatechPat Doyle, Invest NI 17

Strategic AlliancesJim Shields

Robert Grundy, Almac

Adrian O’Connell,

Tughans13

SBRI masterclassLorraine Acheson, Acheson Consulting

Ronan Cunningham, BanbatechPat Doyle, Invest NI 21

How to Get Value from the Bank Aidan Langan, Enterprise EquityJeff Wylie, KANA

Niall Harkin, DanskeBank

15

The New Startup Model (partnered

with CSIT for World Cyber Security

Technology Research Summit)

Alex Van Someren, Amadeus Ventures

Zach Tudor, SRI International

Elisabetta Zaccaria


Jon Bradford, TechStars 14

The Greatest Problems waiting for

Entrepreneurs to Solve (partnered

with CSIT for World Cyber Security

Technology Research Summit)

Martin Borrett, IBM

Jon Bradford, TechStars

Andrew Tyrer,

Technology Strategy

Board

14

FRAMEWORKSCALENDAR OF EVENTS 2013/2014



PROGRAMMES

STEERING TEAM

VICKY DUMMIGAN, TUGHANS

BOB MCGOWAN-SMYTH, CRESCENT CAPITAL

BRIAN MCKIMM, KPMG

CAROLINE MCGORAN, UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER


DENIS MURPHY, ANAEKO

DREW O'SULLIVAN, INTERTRADEIRELANDFRANK BRYAN, QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST

IAN BEATTY, DANSKE BANK

JENNIFER FERGUSON, ARTHUR COX

MARK CUNNINGHAM, BANK OF IRELAND

NEASA QUIGLEY, CARSON MCDOWELL

This event series educates entrepreneurs in an

informative and entertaining environment in front of a

diverse audience of Northern Ireland’s business leaders

and technologists, as well as capital and service providers.

Enterprise Forum provides access to world-class market

intelligence and a distinctive perspective on today’s most

challenging business issues facing startups, by producing

forums and case study presentations featuring Northern

Ireland’s most exciting, emerging growth technology

companies. Enterprise Forum creates an opportunity for

science and technology sector leaders across all industries

to connect in a relaxed and inspiring setting.

SPECIAL EVENTSIBM SmartCamp Programme Launch

Intelligent Energy Systems

NISP CONNECT Stakeholder Lunch

Media Tech Cluster Forum

Andy Hopper VIP Visit

Open Data Institute & National Archives

Discussion on Open Data

The Frontiers in Science & Technology lunchtime

lectures series entered its second year in 2013-14.

Each event saw one of NI’s three primary furthereducation institutions put forward a speaker to

present on groundbreaking, world-class research.

The quality and significance of the content allowed

us to draw a first-rate influential audience of

business leaders, academics and public servants.

We created Frontiers to answer a need for greater

promotion of our best research, and the star

researchers leading it. With recent expansions of

some of the universities’ activities in this area, the

programme has now been adapted to focus on theAgri-Food & Biosciences Institute.

LUNCHTIMELECTURESSmart Vaccines: Revolutionising Drug Delivery in Animal Health

Dr Michael Welsh, Head of the Virology Branch and Fish Disease Unit of

the Veterinary Sciences Division at the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute

3D Composite Weaving: Creating Fabrics and Shapes Stronger than

Metal, Lighter than Gossamer

Axis Composites, a University of Ulster spin-out

iGrass 2.0 (high-strength polymer composites made from plant material)

Prof Shekhar Sharma, Head of the Plant Health and Environmental

Protection Branch at the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute

VC FORUM

E N T E R P R I S E F O R U M

VC Forum was created to build relationships with institutional

venture capital investors outside of Northern Ireland and, together

with local venture capitalists, showcase Northern Irish companies

looking to raise A, B or C rounds of investment of between £500K

and £5M. With a dealflow pipeline of predominantly seed-stage

companies in Northern Ireland, it was decided to “park” the VC

Forum programme until the pipeline of companies in NI matures

further. NISP CONNECT still facilitates bespoke visits of venture

capital investors in Northern Ireland on an as-and-when basis.

FRONTIERS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

STEERING TEAM

PASCHAL MCCLOSKEY,QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST

JOHN MACRAE,UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

MARGARET PATTERSON, AFBI

DAVID LYNESS,CARSON MCDOWELL

NEIL HENDRON, ARTHUR COX


NIALL DEVLIN, BANK OF IRELAND

STEERING TEAM

NEASA QUIGLEY,CARSON MCDOWELL

EDDIE FRIEL,UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

RICHARD FULTON,MILLS SELIG



Each year the previous honourees review nominations and select the ‘Innovation Founder’

recognising a person who has achieved distinction in founding, leading or building a Northern Irish

life sciences or technology-based business and has contributed to our region to build and shape

our local economy and significantly improve our quality of life.



[21]

The Innovation Founder of the Year Award goes to a

company founder in Northern Ireland who has made an

exceptional impact on the world. We want to recognise

these heroes of innovation.

The 2013-14 Innovation Founder of the Year Award

Winner is

PETER FITZGERALDManaging Director of Randox Laboratories Ltd, one of the fastest growing diagnostic companies

in the world. Dr FitzGerald was working in the research department of Queen’s University Belfast

when his passion for science and his observation of the ‘brain drain’ of young talented scientists

prompted him to set up a local manufacturing facility for diagnostic products.

Starting in 1982 with six people, including three family members, he has grown the business to

employ over 1,200 staff across headquarters in Northern Ireland and in Randox offices distributed

worldwide. The focus has been on the development of better, more sensitive tests for existing

diagnostic parameters, and keeping abreast of new trends and developments by devoting 30% of

the company’s revenue to research.

INNOVATIONFOUNDEROF THE YEAR

Official sponsor

SPONSORED BY

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2012TOM EAKIN

2011DR HUGH CORMICAN

2010PROF JOHN ANDERSON



MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERSHIP

NI KNOWLEDGEECONOMY INDEX

STEERINGTEAM

SCOTT RUTHERFORD

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

BELFAST

TIM BRUNDLE,


RICHARD FULTON

(MILLS SELIG)

ALAN BISSETT,

ARTHUR COX

GILLIAN BREAKEY,

BANK OF IRELAND

MICHAEL MCCORMACK,

BT

NORMAN APSLEY,

NORTHERN IRELAND

SCIENCE PARK

It’s not enough to have a shared vision for the transformation of Northern Ireland’s

economy by 2030. We need to set specific targets and we need to know how well the

region is performing each year. We worked with leading research consultancies and

over 170 local stakeholders to achieve this. The result is the NI Knowledge Economy

Index (“KEI”).

The annual KEI Report tracks the health of the Northern Ireland innovation economy

by comparing data year-on-year and against other regions, and monitoring availabilityof capital. The data helps policymakers and trade organisations plan and advocate

effectively for sufficient workforce housing, transportation solutions, zoning and

availability of resources. The Report also serves as a recruiting and retention tool,

demonstrating to research, leadership and management talent from around the world

that Northern Ireland is a leading centre for innovation.

And guess what this year’s said? Things are better than we thought they were!

2030

ASPIRATIONAL

TRAJECTORY

£1.05 BILLION TOTAL SPENDON R&D

£90 MILLION VENTURECAPITAL INVESTEDANNUALLY

71,250 SCIENCE &TECHNOLOGY GRADS

71,250 KNOWLEDGEECONOMY TOTAL EMPLOYEES

7,000 INNOVATIONBUSINESSES

500 NEW INNOVATIONSTARTUP COMPANIESREQUIRED ANNUALLY

KNOWLEDGEECONOMY INDEX TARGETS

Baseline

2009

Most Recent

Data 2011

2015 2020

Aspirational Trajectory

2030

£600M

£21M

60,980

41,030

2,940

260

£730M

£34M

64,230

57,500

3,920

320



[23]

If we are to develop a thriving economy as a

legacy for future generations, we need to help

build our future leaders today. Generation

Innovation seeks a yearly intake of the region’s

16-17 year-olds with the highest potential in the

new economy.

Each year’s new batch is welcomed at a majorevening event, where we aim to inspire them with

a big headline star from the tech world. This year

was a real coup. Tyrone-born Sarah Friar, CFO of

Square, was livestreamed from California in front

of 120 Generation Innovation alumni. She was

joined by a surprise guest, her boss Jack Dorsey –

co-founder of Twitter and Square.

Generation Innovation alumni are becoming an

integral part of the NISP CONNECT community,

regularly attending our events and contributing to

the development of our future direction. Vital to

the success of the programme are the dozens of

schools who nominate and support their students

each year – thank you one and all!

Also each year we ask a leading NI production

company to take the baton and create a video

that helps to inspire people to the Generation

Innovation cause. This year Flickerpix & Waddell

Media generously contributed.

GENERATION

INNOVATION

Supported by:



STEERINGTEAM LYNSEY MALLON, ARTHUR COX

BILL CONNOR, SENTINUS

LIGUORI DOBBIN, BANK OF IRELAND

CAROL FITZSIMONS, YENI

TONY GALLAGHER, QUB

MICHAEL IEVERS,

STRANMILLIS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

JOHN MCGUCKIAN, TUGHANS

REBEKAH NEVIN, CARSON MCDOWELL

JOANNE STUART, ATTRUS




A HUGET

DIRECTORY

DIRECTORY

STAKEHOLDERSAlan Watts,HaloAnn McGregor,NI Chamber of CommerceBill Connor,SentinusBrendan McGoran,Belfast City CouncilBrian Hunter,CIDOBryan Keating,MATRIXCarol Fitzsimons,Young Enterprise NorthernIrelandCaroline McGoran,University of UlsterCiaran McGarrity,DETICiaran Sheehan,Clarendon ExecutiveDenise Murtagh,Queen’s University BelfastDerek Hanway,Schools EmployersConnections

Eoin McFadden,DETIGrainne McVeigh,Northern Irish ConnectionsGrainne Lennon,InterTradeIrelandIan Jeffers,Prince’s TrustIvor Gibson, Northern Ireland Assemblyand Business TrustJayne Brady,Kernel CapitalJohn Miller,Invest NI

John Andy Bonar,Letterkenny Institute ofTechnology (LYIT)Jonathan Wallace,University of UlsterKaren Orme,South Eastern RegionalCollegeKirsty McManus,CBILeslie Orr,ADSLinda Brown,IODLiz Conlon,

Institute of Physics IrelandMark Nagurski,CultureTECHMary Trainor-Nagele,Arts & Business NI

Mary Walshok,San Diego CONNECTMichael Bell,N. I Food & DrinkAssociationMichael Noble,Momentum NINicholas O’Shiel,Omagh EnterpriseCompany LtdNigel Smyth,CBIPat Doyle,

Invest NIPatsy Donaghy,Letterkenny Institute ofTechnology (LYIT)Paul Clancy,HaloPaul Beaney,University of UlsterPeter Donnelly,BioBusiness NIRichard Williams,Northern Ireland ScreenRob McConnell,SQSRoger Pollen,

Federation of SmallBusinessRoseann Kelly,Women in Business NIScott King,NIACESheree Atcheson,Women Who Code BelfastShirley McCay,Belfast City CouncilSinead McLaughlin,The Londonderry Chamberof CommerceStephen Wray,Queen’s University Belfast

FEATURED ONTECHWATCHWrite to ReadVaccine TabsSixty-5BeaconPhlokSee.Sense.BriefedGet TogetherInkIntelligentAnaekoRotorPatchblocksLewis FertilityTactility FactorySian’s PlanSophiaCommander Securities

SiSafGoReportPerforma SportsProofpoint EssentialsTaggledAnalytics EnginesLearning PoolSensumMicrosenseMOF TechnologiesKomodoDisplayNoteTitan IC Systems

SPRINGBOARDEntrepreneurs-in-Residence (EiRs)*Andrew Walmsley,Director, EasonsSinclair Stockman,CIO, BTDes Speed,CEO, Lagan TechnologiesDenis Murphy,CEO, AnaekoJG Doherty,CEO, AmphionLes Curran,CEO, KelsiusDick Milliken,CFO, AlmacMichael O’Neill,COO, First DerivativesGareth Dunlop,CEO, TibusSteven Gunning,CEO, TomcatRoger Johnson,VP, BD MeridioAlan Watts,Founder, YeloJude Lynch,

COO, O2 IrelandClare Passmore,CTO, GalenBrian Baird,CEO, MeridioBrendan Colgan,CEO, ESABKarl Mulligan,VP, Almac DiagnosticsMichael Black,MD BCO CFO, Blue ChipPaula Glossop,CEO, Sentry ITDarren Craig,CEO, IVM Europe

Michael Keltai,MD, Nokia Networks,BrazilEoin Lambkin,Owner, Groupe-Intellex

Ronan Cunningham,Founder, BanbatechAislinn Rice,Sales Director, AndorTechnologyStuart Harvey,Founder, Harco Technology

Domain Experts

Investment/Funding

Neil Simms,Clarendon Fund ManagersDanny McCaughan,

Kernel CapitalDavid McCurley,WhiteRock CapitalColin Walsh,Crescent CapitalDeirdre Terrins,Crescent CapitalBoyd Carson,Sapphire Capital PartnersBob McGowan-Smyth,Crescent CapitalCaroline McGoran,University of UlsterVicky Dummingan,TughansHal Wilson,Fastnet VenturesAlan Watts,HaloSimon McMullen,KPMG

Product Development

Roberto Fagnani,Biotechnology BusinessSolutionsMoira Burke,Burke Business SolutionsLtdJoseph Donoghue,

Leardon SolutionsTim Harrison,Almac DiscoveryPaul Millar,Horizon Two Six LtdAubrey Sayers,Altos Solutions

Corporate Finance

Paul Currid,Keenan Corporate FinanceCraig Holmes,Horwood & HolmesCorporate FinanceAngela Reavey,

Capaxo LtdGary Shannon,BDOPaul Hollway,KPMG

Graham Stewart,PwCKeith Jess,Ernst & YoungNoel Culbert,PwCAlan Taylor,Arthur CoxRichard Graham,RG & Co

Legal & Regulatory

Dawn McKnight,

Carson McDowellLynsey Mallon,Arthur CoxNeasa Quigley,Carson McDowellKathryn Walls,Mills SeligChris Guy,Mills SeligKerry McCorkell,TughansMarie Walsh,AnsonsBob Beckham,Beckhams IP (Defence)

Alan Bissett,Arthur Cox (Cleantech &Renewables)John McGuckian,Tughans

Marketing

Norbert Sagnard,Sagnard AssociatesBarry Hagan,Barry Hagan AssociatesTeresa O’Loughlin,think6Paul Harding,Meltem Export

Siobhan Gallagher,Shout!Stephen Jemphrey,J I ConsultingJulie Taylor,Integrity NI

GENERATIONINNOVATION:Attending TechFoundersAaron Taylor,Co-founder & CEO,GoPrezzoBrian Baird,

Director, ReplifyClare Passmore,Founder, AttuneWomenswearDavid Patterson,CEO, Sophia

*Job titles are often previous positions held, as many EiRs are giving back to the community after leaving prominent jobs



ANKS TODenis Murphy,CEO, AnaekoDiarmuid Moloney,Founder, RotorGareth Dunlop,CEO, FathomGawain Morrison,CEO & Co-founder,SensumGerard McBreen,Co-founder, Komodomath.comGreg Maguire,

Co-founder & CEO,InlifesizeHugh Cormican,CEO, Cirdan ImagingIan Scott,Founder, TaggledJonny Campbell,Creative Lead, BrewbotKevin Logue,Managing Director, UproarComicsKevin McGrath,Co-founder, BeaconKyle Gawley,CEO, Get Invited

Lorraine Martin,CEO, ProAxsisLuke McNeice,Technical consultant,KainosMal Duffin,Owner, CanDo 3DMary McCall,Founder & MD, Treat TicketOliver Lennon,CEO, Speech StormPatricia O’Hagan,CEO, Core SystemsPaul Brewster,CTO, Pure MarineRonan Cunningham,Founder, BanbatechRory O’Connor,Director, The Creativity HubRuth Morrow,Co-founder, TactilityFactorySebastian Heinz,MindfloodSheena Lewis,CEO, Lewis Fertility TestingSteve Brankin,CEO, AsiduaStevie Morrow,

CEO, WorldDeskTom Griffiths,Founder, The AcornIncubator

Trish Belford,Co-founder, TactilityFactoryVincent Breslin,Co-founder, SiansplanWilliam Barr,Director, BillygoatEntertainment

Participating SchoolsAquinas DiocesanGrammar School,BelfastAssumption GrammarSchool, BallynahinchAntrim Grammar SchoolBallyclare High SchoolBallyclare SecondarySchoolBallymena AcademyBanbridge AcademyBangor AcademyBelfast High SchoolBelfast Model School ForGirlsBelfast Royal AcademyBrownlow IntegratedCollege, Craigavon

Cambridge HouseGrammar School,BallymenaCampbell College,BelfastChristian BrothersGrammar School,OmaghColeraine High SchoolCollegiate GrammarSchool, EnniskillenCrumlin IntegratedCollegeDalriada School,Ballymoney

De La Salle College,BelfastDe La Salle High School,DownpatrickDominican College, BelfastDown High School,DownpatrickEdmund Rice College,NewtownabbeyFort Hill College,LisburnFriends’ School,LisburnGlenlola Collegiate School,

BangorGrosvenor GrammarSchool, BelfastHazelwood IntegratedCollege,Newtownabbey

Hunterhouse College,BelfastLagan College,BelfastLarne Grammar SchoolLaurelhill CommunityCollege,LisburnLimavady GrammarSchoolLismore ComprehensiveSchool,Craigavon

Lisneal College,Derry~LondonderryMalone IntegratedCollege, BelfastMarkethill High SchoolMethodist College,BelfastMount Lourdes GrammarSchool,EnniskillenNew-Bridge IntegratedCollege,BanbridgeNewtownbreda HighSchool, Belfast

Northern Regional CollegeOmagh AcademyOur Lady and St Patrick’sCollege,KnockOur Lady’s GrammarSchool, NewryPortadown CollegePortora Royal School,EnniskillenRainey Endowed School,MagherafeltRathmore GrammarSchool, BelfastRegent House School,NewtownardsSacred Heart College,OmaghSt Brigid’s College,Derry~LondonderrySt Catherine’s College,ArmaghSt Cecilia’s College,Derry~LondonderrySt Colman’s High School,BallynahinchSt Columb’s College,Derry~LondonderrySt Joseph’s High School,

CrossmaglenSt Killian’s College,BallymenaSt Louis Grammar School,Ballymena

St Louis Grammar School,KilkeelSt Malachy’s College,BelfastSt Mary’s ChristianBrothers’ GrammarSchool,BelfastSt Mary’s High School,LurganSt Mary’s High School,LimavadySt Patrick’s Bilateral, Co-

Ed College,MagheraSt Patrick’s High School,KeadySt Patrick’s High School,LisburnSt Paul’s High School,BessbrookShimna IntegratedCollege, NewcastleSouth Eastern RegionalCollegeSperrin IntegratedCollege, MagherafeltStrathearn School,

BelfastSullivan Upper School,HolywoodThe Royal BelfastAcademical InstitutionThe Royal School,ArmaghThornhill College,Derry~LondonderryUlidia Integrated College,CarrickfergusVictoria College,BelfastWallace High School,LisburnWellington College,Belfast

25K AWARDSMentorsAisleen RiceEoin LambkinJulie TaylorChris LomasNorman ApsleyAndrew WalmsleyBrendan MooneyJude LynchMichael Keltai

Aidan LanganIan McCannStephen SimpsonTristan Brittain DissontColin WalshBrian Cummings

Ann-Marie SlavinGary HamiltonHal Wilson

Judging Panel Bryan Keating,MATRIXCiaran McGivern,Bank of IrelandCaolan Small,DowJonathan White,AnsonsDaniel Crowley

,VCJim McIlroy,ActavisMichael Crossey,Intel

ENTERPRISEFORUMPanellistsRory Caren,IBMAndy Hopper,Prof of ComputerTechnology & Head of the

University of CambridgeComputer LaboratoryMervyn Middleby,BBC Northern IrelandMark Taylor,BBC Northern IrelandShane Fitzpatrick,BBCRichard Stirling,Open Data InstituteCarol Tullo,The National ArchivesEoin McFadden,DETIStephen Sloan,

Momentum NIBen Greene,SAP

INNOVATIONFOUNDER OF THEYEARJudging PanelCiaran McGivern,Bank of IrelandDr Hugh Cormican,Innovation Founder of theYear 2011/12Tom Eakin,Innovation Founder of theYear 2012/13Norman Apsley,NISP

[25]



NISPTRUSTIN ORDER TO SUPPORTTHE REGION’S ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT MORE FULLY,WE ARE DRIVING TOWARDSFINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE.This will allow us greater freedom

of action and voice, and more

alignment with the private sector

entrepreneurs we strive to serve.

The recently established NISP

Trust is a platform for philanthropic

support to aid Northern Ireland’s

growth into a thriving knowledge

economy.

Some of the fantastic private sector entrepreneurs we strive to serve.Photo corteousy of: Suki Dhanda // www.sukidhanda.com // Observer Tech Monthly

WE’RE





[27]

FINANCIALSFUNDING 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12

Membership 133,195 126,000 125,000

Sponsorship 74,820 78,142 65,937

NISP / NISP Trust 23,000 0 0

Grant (DETI) 174,902 208,837 216,536

Total Income 405,917 412,979 407,473

COSTS 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12

Programme costs 116,070 121,410 119,400

Other costs 71,413 60,141 71,537

Salaries 218,434 224,064 216,536

Total Costs 405,917 405,615 407,473

SURPLUS / DEFICIT 0 7,364 0

NISP CONNECT Income & Expenditure for three years to year ending 31/03/14 (all figures in £)

WINNING...BELFAST WAS RECENTLY FEATUREDIN THE OBSERVER AS A LEADINGUK STARTUP CITY, WITH NISPCITED AS A KEY ASSET.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

@NISPCONNECT+44 (0) 28 9073 7800

WWW.NISPCONNECT.ORG



ENQUIRIES TO:TRUDY PARRYSPECIAL EVENTS ANDPROGRAMME CO-ORDINATOR,NISP CONNECT

[email protected]

+44 (0) 28 9073 7800

The Innovation Centre

Northern Ireland Science Park

Queen’s Road

Queen’s Island

Belfast BT3 9DTMore at: www.nispconnect.org

European Union

NISP CONNECT IS PROUDLY PART-FUNDED BY

THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTFUND UNDER THE EUROPEAN SUSTAINABLE

COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAMME FOR

@NISPCONNECT

+44 (0) 28 9073 7800

WWW.NISPCONNECT.ORG

NISP CONNECT is an independent, non-profit

organisation that supports the development of

innovative technologies and early-stage companies

through a series of educational seminars,

mentorship programmes, capital competitions, and

public policy advocacy.

The programmes are driven by the findings of the

Northern Ireland Knowledge Economy Index (KEI)

and are guided by the pro bono contributions of

experienced entrepreneurs and executives.

NISP CONNECT accelerates the growth of knowledge-

based companies by acting as an honest, neutral

broker and aims to catalyse the commercialisation of

world-class research and intellectual property. A joint

effort between Northern Ireland’s academic research

base, the University of Ulster, Queen’s University

Belfast, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute,

and Northern Ireland’s private sector, the CONNECT

programmes are designed to facilitate a culture of

collaboration between the region’s highest quality

science and technology entrepreneurs, research

institutions, professional services providers and

investors.

BASED AT:

Documents

Northern Ireland Science Park Annual Report 01