Directors' Forum: Managing expectations - university management

13:30 - 14:00    Bus transfer

There will be a bus available to take you from the Hotel to the Site Visit location. Meet us at the lobby of the Cavalieri Hotel.

14:00 - 16:00    Site Visit: The Brewhouse

Join the tour of the Trident Park, the Brewhouse and the Farsons Brewery Experience. 

The rehabilitation and regeneration of the former Farsons Brewery is the largest industrial conversion of its nature which has been carried out on the island. Located in the Trident Park Complex, known as a Green Office Campus, the Brewhouse is home to The Farsons Brewery Experience. It is an immersive exhibition focusing on the social and industrial history of the Farsons Group, established in 1928 and based at this exact location since 1950. The Experience is a key destination for anyone curious to learn the rich back story to Malta’s leading brewery. 

The tour will end with a presentation from SuperCharger Ventures Operations Manager, Stefania Duende who shall describe why the company was inspired to open up in Malta, and how the are working with several tiers of the local start-up ecosystem including the university and Malta Enterprise.

16:00 - 16:30    Networking break

Enjoy a cup of coffee/tea or a pint of beer with a panoramic view of Malta at the Cisk Tap Bar.

16:30 - 17:30    In conversation with: Anton Bartolo, Director for Corporate Research and Knowledge Transfer, University of Malta

In this session, Anton will share his experience of setting up a small KTO for the first time at a university in a small country with few industry partners and investors. He engaged the consulting arm of Oxford University to learn and establish best practices. What did he use and what did he throw away? How did he fund the office? What was he looking for in first hires? What new initiatives did he need to develop in order to establish international partners and get the first spin-outs and licences out? What did he do to develop the culture of entrepreneurship and commercialisation where there was none before? What mistakes did he make? What can large university KTO’s learn from lean small ones like this and vice-versa. What would he do with an extra €100k funding? What challenges is he facing in the future and how will he rise to them?

17:30 - 18:00    Transfer back to hotel

19:00 - 22:30    Welcome reception and networking dinner

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet your peers for dinner and networking.

09:00 - 09:30    Welcome coffee

Kick off the morning with welcome coffee and networking in Babylon Suite (7th floor) with scenic views of St Julian's Bay. 

09:30 - 10:30    Hot topics: rapid-fire roundtable

Get into the groove of the day ahead with this rapid-fire questions and answer session where everyone will have the opportunity to discuss a dilemma about leading a KTO.  No presentations, no long-winded answers just quick useful insights and advice from fellow experts.

Facilitator: Tom Flanagan, Director for Enterprise and Commercialisation, University College Dublin

10:30 - 11:00    Coffee break

11:00 - 11:45    Managing the expectations of university management

• Where does KT activity fit in the priorities of a Rector?
• What do university management expect from the KTO?
• What’s important? What’s not?
• What mandate should the KTO have?
• What are the measures of success of a KTO?
• What does a Rector worry about when they think about KT activity?

Keynote speaker: Silvia Lenaerts, Rector Magnificus, Eindhoven University of Technology, former Vice Rector of Valorisation and Development of the University of Antwerp

Facilitator: Karen Laigaard, Head of Technology Transfer at Technology Transfer Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen

11:45 - 12:30    Discussion groups

Participants will have time to gather in smaller group to discuss the big take aways from the morning session.

12:30 - 13:00    ASTP plans

Take this opportunity to feedback to ASTP with ideas and suggestions.

13:00 - 14:00    Lunch

14:00 - 15:30    Best practices: management and governance of a KTO

Topics on the agenda:

What mandate should the KTO have?

• What are the range of activities?
• What decision-making rests with the KTO?

What governance should there be for a KTO?

What policies are needed for research and innovation?

• What policies should be owned by the KTO and which policies owned by others? IP, State Aide, Export controls, COI, etc
• What are the contentious issues that need to be addressed by each of the policies?

What governance should a KTO have?

How to evolve a classical KTO into a version 2.0?

What are the contentious issues that need to be addressed by each of the policies?

Brief introduction and break into discussion groups, followed by feedback to the full group.

Facilitator: Paul Van Dun, General Manager, KU Leuven Research and Development, Belgium

15:30 - 16:00    Coffee break

16:00 - 17:00    Wrap up - roundtable discussion

Key insights from the day, tips on running a KTO successfully.

Facilitator: Tom Flanagan

17:00 - 17:30    Closing reception