UCD Researchers Complete Commercialisation Bootcamp Delivered by NovaUCD and UCD Institute for Discovery

Nineteen (19) researchers, from across University College Dublin (UCD), have completed a 3-week Commercialisation Bootcamp, delivered by NovaUCD in association with the UCD Institute for Discovery.

The objective of the UCD Commercialisation Bootcamp programme is to strengthen the pipeline of commercial opportunities arising from UCD research programmes. The aim of this Bootcamp was to equip participating UCD Institute for Discovery affiliated researchers and postgraduate research students with the knowledge, skills and understanding of the commercialisation process.

The goal of the UCD Institute for Discovery is to strengthen the interdisciplinary research environment at UCD, in order to address Irish and global challenges.

The participants on this Bootcamp represented a total of 15 commercial and social enterprise projects. Among the participants were; Professor Denis Shields; Dr H. Alexander Ebhardt, Dr Paulina Szklanna and Luisa Weiss.

Professor Shields is Professor of Clinical Informatics at the UCD School of Medicine and at UCD Conway Institute. His project involves the development of a web platform through which people with particular medical conditions can report the effects of their diet on their condition, either through restricting or adding specific foods. By bringing patient groups, clinicians and researchers together, this platform will enable patients to engage fully in the management of their conditions and potentially influence future research avenues.

Dr H. Alexander Ebhardt is a Research Fellow at the UCD School of Medicine and at Systems Biology Ireland. Dr Ebhardt is developing a diagnostic test for prostate cancer. His research focuses on protein biomarker signatures and this test should significantly improve detection of prostate cancer and long term patient outcomes.

Dr Szklanna is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science. She is developing a commercial idea on a blood test to diagnose early-onset preeclampsia based on her research in the UCD Conway SPHERE research group.

Luisa Weiss, an MSc student in the UCD College of Science, is working on a project to improve the process of validating clinical chemical assays.

Professor Patricia Maguire, Director, the UCD Institute for Discovery, said, “The UCD Institute for Discovery is delighted to have taken part in the UCD Commercialisation Bootcamp programme, and we look forward to doing so again in the future, to help build connections between our researcher community and NovaUCD. The programme enables our researchers to learn more about the commercialisation process and the translation of their research outputs into products and services which can impact the economy and society.”

Caroline Gill, Innovation Education Manager, NovaUCD said, “Through the UCD Commercialisation Bootcamp the participants gain an insight into key commercialisation issues such as; clearly identifying the market problem or need and how their proposed solution or technological innovation solves this problem; commercial exploitation routes; who do they need on their team and what are their funding requirements.”

“We were delighted to work with our colleagues in the UCD Institute for Discovery to widen our reach and look forward to future opportunities to continue working together.”

Researchers from the following Schools took part in this programme;

• • UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science
  • UCD School of Biomedical and Biomedical Sciences
  • UCD School of Chemistry
  • UCD School of Computer Science
  • UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
  • UCD School of Medicine
  • UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science.

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