Global CONNECT™: a network committed to growing new technology clusters worldwide



Global CONNECT is a university-based consultancy assisting regions around the world in the development of innovation systems. 

Clients and Projects

Our typical clients are government agencies, economic development organizations, and academic research institutions that focus on promoting technology commercialization, innovation and entrepreneurship in their regions.

Examples of Clients & Projects

 

Client:      

 

 SETsquared Partnership- UK Government funded Science Bridge Program     

Client Need:     

 Development of relationships with commercial focus around the high-technology research and development clusters of Southern England region of the SETsquared Partnership (the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton, and Surrey) with those in Southern California (UCI and UCSD), for mutual benefit.

Service Provided:    

 

 Inter-Regional Partnership and Global Bridge Program

Global CONNECT

Solution:

Creation and implementation of Global Bridge Program that promotes commercial relationships through three main types of activity 1) Applied research collaboration 2) Bridging of early stage technology businesses from one country to the other 3) Mentoring and business coaching.

 

 

Client: British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) and the British Columbia Innovation Council (BCIC)

 

Client Need:  

 

Strategic review of the British Columbia knowledge transfer system and university-industry collaboration.

 

Service Provided:  

 

Regional Assessment and Analysis

 

Global CONNECT

Solution:

 

Analyzed the British Colombia innovation system and provided a detailed comparative analysis with other leading innovative regions.  Key aspects include: 1) Best practices of knowledge transfer 2) Role of intermediary organizations 3) Methods of University-Industry engagement 4) Case studies of BC University spin-off companies 4) Recommendations for implementing and sustaining knowledge transfer.

        

 

Client: Merck and Company and its subsidiary, Merck, Sharp & Dohme Mexico

 

Client Need:    

 

Creation of a sustainable bi-national program between Southern California and Mexico that promotes relationships among researchers, scientists, and investors to stimulate commercialization of research and development of a life sciences cluster in Mexico.

 

Service Provided:   

 

 

Regional Assessment, Global Bridge Program, Inter-Regional Partnership, Innovation Workshops, Strategic Planning, Angel Investing Workshop, Commercialization Internship

 

Global CONNECT

Solution:

 

Development of the four year program and implementation of Life Sciences Gateway Initiative consisting of a series of site visits, workshops on issues relevant to commercialization in the life sciences, entrepreneurship training programs, strategic planning for inter-regional collaboration among key stakeholders, and targeted introductions for those in the participating regions of Baja California, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Morelos, and Nuevo León.

 

Recent Projects:

EUROPE:

 

Northern Ireland, UK  
  • Assessment of Regional Technology Business Accelerator
Commissioned by MATRIX, a unit of the UK’s Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Investment (DETI), to assess the CONNECT program housed within the Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP), and to advise regarding innovation initiatives.

 

Southern England, UK

  • Linking Regional Innovation Systems

Collaboration with the SETsquared Partnership (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton, and Surrey; and their associated incubators) to link their innovation systems with those in Southern California, providing assistance to US companies seeking to expand into Europe, and vice versa. http://globalconnect.ucsd.edu/uk-us/index.cfm

 

LATIN AMERICA:

Chile

  • Technical Assistance for Emerging Life Sciences Companies

Collaboration with the OCTANTIS incubator through the BioNegocios program to provide insights and perspective to selected entrepreneurs on the international, and especially United States, biotech market.

Colombia

  • Technical Assistance in Developing a Regional Innovation System

Collaboration with the Alianza Universidad-Empresa-Estado (AUEE) and Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración (CESA) to develop CONNECT-like infrastructure for the Bogotá region.

Mexico

  • Technical Assistance to Emerging Life Science Regions

Multi-year program including an assessment of the regions’ assets and gaps, workshops in San Diego and Mexico, strategic planning sessions, and coaching and mentoring to select startup life sciences companies interested in entering the US market. Funded by Merck, Inc.

  • Assistance to Technology-based Companies

Coaching and mentoring services to companies interested in entering the US market and expanding professional networks into Southern California.  Funded by the. US-Mexico Foundation for Science (FUMEC), through its TechBA program.

MIDDLE EAST:

Saudi Arabia

  • Entrepreneurship Training  Program

For the national science agency (KACST), establish a comprehensive training program, to be delivered by local trainers in the second year.

 

 

ASIA:

Korea

  • Technology Commercialization Training

On behalf of the Korea Institute for the Advancement of Technology, four-week in-service professional development program to enhance professionals’ skills through in-depth exposure to the technology commercialization process in San Diego, California.

 

Singapore

  • Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Training

In-service training for staff of Exploit Technologies. the technology transfer and commercialization arm of Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR). 

  • High Level Scan of Singapore Innovation System

Study, on behalf of Exploit Technologies, to determine the feasibility of developing a quantitative and qualitative comparison with San Diego’s innovation system.

Taiwan

  • Assistance to Technology-based Companies

In collaboration with the Institute for Information Industry (III) of Taiwan, the San Diego-Taiwan Bridge Program assists groups of Taiwan-based companies with training and expert feedback on how to commercialize their products and services in the US market.  The program includes advice on developing a US market and business strategy, as well as targeted introductions to potential partners, investors, customers, and suppliers.

 

 

OCEANIA:

Australia

  • Analysis of the Development of San Diego’s Biotechnology Cluster

For the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, major contribution to analysis of Australia’s biotech clusters in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

More Information

If you would like more information about any of these services, please email Nathan Owens at nowens@ucsd.edu.

Last updated July 17, 2012

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