The Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship and Invent DCU’s Tech Venture Creation Programme for post-doctoral researchers is aiming to create the next generation of tech start-ups.
The Tech Venture Creation programme has been developed as a collaboration between the Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship and Invent DCU, the university’s Innovation and Enterprise Centre.
Targeted purely for post-doctoral researchers, the programme was originally envisioned by Invent DCU to stimulate start-ups from the university. It aims to instil in these researchers the idea that they can turn their research into viable, high-technology companies, drawing on the fact that many of the world’s leading tech companies, including Google, Yahoo and Facebook, were created by students.
Tech Venture Creation programme
The Tech Venture Creation programme runs for seven weeks and includes a mentorship scheme that will continue for six months after the master classes end.
It will explore the critical issues at the very early stage of having an idea for a new technology venture and will be very practical in nature.
Intensive three-hour sessions will cover the key subject areas needed by early stage entrepreneurial teams, including technology assessment, exploratory marketing, new product development, legal issues and intellectual property.
“The important thing here is to pass onto the post-doctoral researchers the idea that they are in a key position to embark upon a high-potential start-up,” said Gordon McConnell, director of Programmes for the Ryan Academy.
“The research they are working on is usually based on real-world problems and issues, which is a great starting point for a start-up. That’s how success stories like Google and Yahoo started.”
Programme delivered for ‘pracademics’
Another unique element of the programme is that it is being delivered by ‘pracademics’ or subject matter experts who have direct practical experience of tech start-ups or supporting entrepreneurship in each of the subject areas.
“This programme is particularly timely given the current emphasis on developing Ireland’s knowledge economy,” said Maria Johnston, operations manager for Invent DCU. “It is vital that DCU leads the way in supporting its research community to capitalise on new technologies, create new companies and ultimately jobs.”
Green Technologies Blog
DCU Ryan Academy has also launched a Green Technologies Blog and a High Technology and Entrepreneurship Blog to help stimulate interest in new start-ups in these areas, as reported on Bizstartup.ie in April 2010.
By Carmel Doyle
Photo: View of DCU Ryan Academy, which is collaborating with Invent DCU to launch the Tech Venture Creation programme. This programme will aim to stimulate start-ups in the high-tech space, thus contributing to Ireland’s vision of having a leading-edge, 21st-century smart economy
