| The Business of Innovation |
| Sunday, 01 October 2006 | |
Lucy Butler reports on the activities of CUTECCambridge is full of people with bright ideas: research that goes on every day in the University could produce new technologies that would revolutionize our lives. There is a vast amount of potential, but unfortunately much of this remains unrealized.  Image: Ben Jones CUTEC’s seminal event is an annual conference which was held in Cambridge this year.The purpose was to bring together entrepreneurially-minded students and potential sources of investment and advice, in the form of venture capitalists (companies which invest other people’s money in new businesses), business angels (individuals who invest their own money in new businesses), seasoned entrepreneurs and other business professionals and academics. Entitled From Science to Growth: Capturing Value from Innovation, the conference focused on trends in future drivers of innovation and how entrepreneurs and investors will capture value from such trends. There was a great mix of speakers and panellists, and each provided a different yet complementary perspective. The conference kicked off with a keynote address from Ray Anderson, the recipient of the Technology Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 award. Anderson is a serial entrepreneur in computing and telecommunications. His presentation was inspiring and reinforced the necessity of foresight: one of his companies sponsored the first international conference on the World Wide Web.  Image: Ben Jones Another highlight was a panel discussion on how innovations could emerge from universities. A broad mix of panellists, from CEOs to professors, made for a range of perspectives and a lively, informative and entertaining discussion. Complementary to this was a presentation by Professor Chris Abell.With two successful biotechnology companies under his belt, Abell is an academic who has crossed the boundary between academia and the marketplace. There was also a technology showcase, where finalists from high-profile business competitions presented posters outlining their business plans or fledgling companies. The showcase gave participants an idea of the technologies that were being developed and forming the bases of new companies. There was also the potential for the companies to attract investment, with numerous venture capitalists and other potential investors present. There were plenty of opportunities to network, including the compulsory ‘pitch and punt’ trip and a cocktail party.  Image: Ben Jones CUTEC gives its members the opportunity to gain the knowledge, experience and confidence required for survival in the business world—it is like being involved in a start-up company! CUTEC is now recruiting members for next year. www.cutec.org Lucy Butler is a PhD student in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience |
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