NEWS & EVENTS

 

 

13 December 2007, London

 

Entrepreneurship:

Undergraduate Programme

On behalf of the teaching team, Tekstrategy are very pleased to successfully complete the entrepreneurship programme for Semester A at the University of East London (UEL).

 

31 October 2007, London

Eight European partners are delighted to successfully conclude their innovative RePo Project. The RePro Project is designed to contribute to the enrichment of the teaching and learning process by combining educational problems with actual business situation.

The key aim of innovative RePro project is to develop a model (RePro-model) for producing, testing and using actual business oriented cases in a multicultural learning environment. This is done by engaging students, external organisations and academics in the teaching and learning process to provide new perspectives.  According to traditional concept of learning, the most important person in a learning process has been the instructor. In RePro-approach a student should set up a learning task for himself/herself based on RePro-case story, solve the learning task, share the knowledge with others and evaluate the learning process. Throughout this process, student are encouraged to actively use all the possible knowledge resources, including literature, company information, knowledge, experience, tutors guidance, discussions with others, etc.

Throughout the project, the partners shared their experience and best practices with each other through meetings, workshops, electronic communications, and web-based group discussions. In addition, a dedicated website is created for the RePro Project and the dissemination of the final products.  To kick off the RePro Project, the first meeting took place in Finland, followed by workshops in the UK, Germany, Italy and Poland. The main result of three years hard work is the construction of thirteen tested RePro-cases which are based on multidisciplinary student centred learning in real business context. In addition, teacher’s manual and student’s guidebook were produced for successful implementations.  Partners will be able to use the developed RePro Cases and produce new ones according to their institutional needs.

The RePro Project (funded by the European Commission) is a partnership between Savonia University of Applied Science (Finland), Häme University of Applied Science (Finland), Oxford Brookes University (UK), Berufsakademie Mannheim (Germany), Instituto Technico Commerciale ‘Enrico Tosi’ (Italy), Rezeknes Augstskola (Latvia), University of Gdansk (Poland), and Tekstrategy (UK). Tekstrategy wish to take this opportunity to congratulate all the partners for making the RePro Project a success. Special thanks go to the RePro Project Team at Savonia University of Applied Science for their excellent management and coordination throughout the project.  

For more about the RePro Project, please visit the project website:  http://www.reproproject.com

 

10 July 2007, London

 

Entrepreneurship:

Undergraduate Programme

On behalf of the teaching team, Tekstrategy are very pleased to successfully complete the entrepreneurship pilot programme at the University of East London (UEL). From the pilot, we learn that students don't just go to UEL to get an education but also go to get the skills and experience that will make them more entrepreneurial.
 

 

The Module Leader said "By leading the development and delivery of the entrepreneurship programme, the course was designed to help our students achieve their ambitions by developing and utilising their employability and  entrepreneurial skills"

The External Examiner said: “The Module Leader has clearly gone to a considerable length to make this as meaningful and stretching an experience for the students as possible...…And the way in which the students have responded to the opportunities with which they have been presented is clearly most impressive” 

 

7 March 2007, London

E-Factor recognition for 2 Entrepreneurship Students

Two students who may never have otherwise met, except for our Entrepreneurship module, scooped the E-Factor's second prize of £1000 with their innovative venture idea, a ‘Power Bar’ terminal to enable people to charge up their mobile phones in public places.

Andrew Preston (Sports and Exercise Science) and Felix Feng (Accounting and Finance) met for the first time through the entrepreneurship course. Their application to the E-Factor competition was based on the work they completed for the module during Semester A. 

Susan Fitzgerald, the University Combined Honours Registrar, said: “I think it’s absolutely marvellous that two students who might not have otherwise met came together through the Entrepreneurship module and worked up such an innovative business idea. Andrew and Felix will be able to use their prize money to further develop their business plan if they choose to seek investment in their business idea”

Winner Andrew Preston, said: "I believe that it's your support and encouragement during the Entrepreneurship module last semester which started the journey that brought me and Felix so close to being the winning team in the E-Factor!"

26 September 2006, London

 

Entrepreneurship:

Undergraduate Programme

The University of East London (UEL) has seen the important role that enterprise activities can play in achieving its objective to be a significant provider of knowledge and wealth to the region. To build on the success already achieved in promoting and developing enterprise skills and to mark the opening of the second phase of the Docklands Campus in September 2006, UEL has introduced an entrepreneurship module for third year undergraduate students. 

Tekstrategy team are very pleased to work with the University of East London in designing and delivering the innovative entrepreneurship module during the 2006-2007 academic year.  The 20 credits Module is designed to serve as a catalyst to help students put their knowledge to use in creative and innovative ways, whether in start-ups or in employment.  For more info about the above programme, please contact the Module Leader Dr Razak Grady razak@tekstrategy.co.uk

 

 

26 January 2005, Edinburgh

 

Entrepreneurship:

Train The Trainer Programme

Building on the very successful workshop held in October 2004, Tekstrategy, in association with the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, are very pleased to successfully conclude the second “Entrepreneurship Workshop”, hosted at Napier University, 26 January 2005.

The SIE Workshop was introduced by Susan Laing, Director of Napier University's Centre for Entrepreneurship, and attended by delegates from University of Dundee, Heriot Watt University, University of Paisley, The Robert Gordon University, University of Stirling, The Glasgow School of Art, Napier University, University of Aberdeen and SIMFONEC.

"The workshop was intense but I absolutely enjoyed every part of it. It is absolutely clear that you both know what you are talking about. I am entrepreneur as well as lecturer and you pinpointed some issues that really represent the fundamental problems of entrepreneurial venture creation. Even more, I have never seen such a thorough but at the same time tremendously practical programme before", Delegate, University of Dundee.

For more info about the above event or interested to sponsor a similar workshop at your region or at your organisation, please contact Dr Razak Grady on 020 8223 7781 or by email: admin@tekstrategy.co.uk

 

21-23 November 2004, Kuopio, Finland

Real-life Business Projects in Multicultural Student-Centred Learning (RePro): Leonardo Da Vinci Socrates Exchange Partnership

Tekstrategy, and its partners, are delighted to announce the success of their application by winning an EU funding for their innovative RePro Project. The RePro Project is a partnership between Savonia Polytechnic (Finland), Oxford Brookes University (UK), Tekstrategy (UK), Häme Polytechnic (Finland), Berufsakademie Mannheim (Germany), Instituto Technico Commerciale ‘Enrico Tosi’ (Italy), Rezeknes Augstskola (Latvia), and the University of Gdansk (Poland).

 

To kick off  the RePro Project, the partners have conducted the first Workshop, hosted by Sovania Polytechnic, 21-23 November 2004. 

  

The aim of the RePro Project is to develop an international model (RePro Model) for producing, testing and using business-oriented cases and problems in a multicultural learning environment. This is done by combining educational problems with actual business problems. The main outputs of the project will be tested case modules for student-centred learning, and guide books on how these cases are constructed. The cases will link real companies and their business problems with teaching processes, thereby combining consulting and learning to provide new perspectives

 

 

13 October 2004, Stirling

 

Entrepreneurship:

Train The Trainer Programme

Tekstrategy, in association with the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, are very proud to successfully conclude the “Entrepreneurship Workshop”, hosted at University of Stirling, 13 October 2004. 

The Workshop was introduced by Sharon Bamford, Director of Scottish Institute of Enterprise and attended by delegates from University of Stirling, Napier University, University of Strathclyde, University of Highlands & Islands, University of Paisley, The Robert Gordon University, and  Glasgow School of Art.

Dr Razak Grady of Tekstrategy commented: “we are very pleased to work with the Scottish Institute for Enterprise and to be able to present commercialisation process and tools that leads to results. The process has been used and tested by many centres of excellence with outstanding results and Scotland is an ideal place for introducing the process". 

For more info about the above event or interested to sponsor a similar workshop at your region or at your organisation, please contact Dr Razak Grady on 020 8223 7781 or by email: admin@tekstrategy.co.uk

 

 

25 & 26 May 2004, Cardiff

Conference Participation by Tekstrategy Team

Tekstrategy has participated in International Workshop on Design Support, held at St. Davids Hotel and Spa, Cardiff, 25-26 May 2004.  Mr Andrew Davies AM, Walsh Minister for Economic Development & Transport made keynote speech during the opening of this very successful event. The event, hosted by Design Wales, was designed to exchange ideas about how to better facilitate design within SMEs and brought together a range of leading design support practitioners from around the world and a context for this with the latest research on issues related to the development of the small business sector.  Speakers attended from Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, India, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, France, Wales and the UK. During the conference, Dr Razak Grady (Tekstrategy) made a presentation on the subject of “Knowledge & Technology Transfer: The Transfer Mechanisms and The Commercialisation Process”.

 

 

11 February 2004, London

 

Entrepreneurship Workshop:

Knowledge & Technology Commercialisation

London, 11 February 2004: Tekstrategy is very proud to successfully conclude its famous “Knowledge & Technology Commercialisation Workshop”, hosted at the London Hilton, 11 February 2004.  The workshop delegates (universities, enterprise centres, regional development agencies, support organisations, and private companies) were introduced to a unique entrepreneurship and commercialisation process that has been tested for results. 

Razak Grady of Tekstrategy commented “Tekstrategy and IC2 Institute championed the first Knowledge & Technology Commercialisation Workshop in the UK early in 2002, and we are very pleased to see at today’s workshop those who are currently using our process.  This demonstrates the success of our knowledge transfer workshops and highlights the organisations' commitment to the continued use of our process”. 

For more info about the above event or interested to sponsor a similar workshop at your region or at your organisation, please contact Dr Razak Grady on 020 8223 7781 or by email (Razak@Tekstrategy.co.uk)

 

 

29 January 2004, Cranfield University

 

Entrepreneurship Workshop:

Knowledge & Technology Commercialisation

The Tekstrategy & Cranfield University  Knowledge & Technology Commercialisation Workshop, 29 January 2004, was hosted by Enterprise Integration and introduced by Cranfield Creates.  It was attended by MSc/PhD students, researchers and academics of Cranfield University. 

Professor Peter Sackett (Head of Enterprise Integration) commented:  “We have a track record in commercializing our work.  I believe that by raising the awareness of opportunities and lowering the perceived barriers to entry many more of our people can establish their own businesses.  The Tekstrategy/Cranfield partnership is an important step in realizing these goals”

Dr Razak Grady of Tekstrategy commented: “we are very pleased to work with Cranfield University and to be able to present a commercialisation process that leads to results. The process has been used and tested by many centres of excellence with outstanding results and Cranfield is an ideal place for introducing the process". 

For more info, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Razak Grady on 020 8223 7781 or by email (Razak@Tekstrategy.co.uk)

 

 

3 July 2003:

 

3 Day Staff Development Workshop: Entrepreneurship

 

London - July 3, 2003 - Tekstrategy Ltd announced today the successful completion of its 3 Day Entrepreneurship Workshop.  The 3 day residential workshop attended by 28 academic and enterprise staff and was held at The Lyndhurst Park Hotel, New Forest, Hampshire.

 

	Day 1: Introducing Entrepreneurship
	Day 1: Creativity & Innovation
	Day 1: Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurs
	Day 1: Protection of Ideas
	Day 1: Opportunity Initial Assessment
	Day 2: Opportunity Detailed Assessment
	Day 2: Market Assessment
	Day 2: Resources Assessment
	Day 2: Real Experience (case studies)
	Day 3: Financial Assessment
	Day 3: Legal Issues
	Day 3: Supporting Entrepreneurship

 

The 3 Day Workshop was delivered by a team with academic and business experience from Tekstrategy Ltd and its strategic partners, TLT Solicitors and IC2 Institute. For more info about the above workshop or others, please contact admin@tekstrateg.co.uk

 

4 March 2003:

 

One Day Workshop: Opportunity Assessment

 

Tekstrategy Ltd & TLT Solicitors are pleased to successfully conclude their one-day Workshop held at the University of the West of England (Bristol). This programme (assessing opportunity) was attended by the enterprise team, academics as well as new businesses based at the University’s Incubator.  In addition to TLT expertise, Tekstrategy was able to offer a unique set of expertise combing its own by its strategic partner the University of Texas IC2 Institute. For more info about the above workshop or others, please contact admin@tekstrateg.co.uk

 

16 October 2002:

 

Tekstrategy' Strategic Partner, The IC² Institute launches Accelerated Technology and Commercialisation Programme at Motorola Inc.

University of Texas at Austin Program Helps Companies Derive Value from Intangible Assets

AUSTIN, Texas - October 16, 2002 - The IC² Institute at The University of Texas at Austin announced today the successful completion of its initial Accelerated Technology Assessment and Commercialisation (ATAC) program for Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT). Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector (SPS) plans to use the technology commercialisation expertise obtained from the ATAC program to increase momentum for its Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing program.

The recently completed 14-week ATAC program, held at the offices of both the IC² Institute and Motorola, included an assessment of Motorola's technologies for commercial viability, analysis and validation of markets for commercially viable technologies, determination of the most effective commercialisation strategies, and education among company employees regarding the overall assessment and commercialisation processes that are grounded in science.

The program began with IC² delivering a three-day technology commercialisation workshop to 20 SPS leaders selected to analyse and prioritise technologies for licensing. 

"Aggressive intellectual property licensing is a critical component of Motorola's business strategy," said Alex Pepe, vice president and director, Technology & Manufacturing Strategy and Marketing, Motorola SPS. "Through IC²'s leadership thinking and technology commercialisation experience, Motorola has been able to enhance its IP licensing program at SPS by focusing our efforts on the highest value licensing opportunities." 

According to Ernst and Young and Arthur D. Little, more than 70 percent of the assets held by S&P 500 companies are intangible, up from 40 percent of assets 10 years ago.

"With this trend continuing, organizations that are educated in and have established processes for assessing and releasing the value of their intangible, underutilized, or unrealized assets will gain an advantage over their competitors," said Sid Burback, IC² associate director and director of commercialisations, who initiated the ATAC program. "By validating markets and assessing the commercial viability of technologies, the ATAC Program helps companies convert intangible assets to recover sunk costs and generate revenue streams. It helps organizations accelerate the completion of strategic commercialisation projects and benchmark current practices." 

The IC² ATAC program is designed to educate up to four vertically aligned teams of employees from different divisions. Each team may include a combination of product and R&D engineers, product marketing professionals, accountants, manufacturing managers, intellectual property and licensing managers, and market analysts. 

Alex Cavalli, acting deputy director of IC² said, "This diversity helps the organization create a common mindset and the ability to communicate about technology assessment, market validation, and commercialisation process components across multiple divisions. R&D engineers are key to the teams because the process for determining whether a technology is commercially viable in a particular market or markets begins in the R&D lab." 

In 14 weeks, the program is designed to educate up to 24 company employees and addresses a company's specific commercialisation requirements and challenges. The program also includes the formation of a review board consisting of four to six senior managers who develop requirements, review progress, provide feedback and receive results. 

During the program, company employees and UT professors screen up to 20 of the company's technologies and analyse and validate markets for them. The 12 technologies that hold the most promise for commercialisation are selected and evaluated by using the UT/IC² Technology and Market Assessment and Validation Methodology. A report of the assessment and corresponding commercialisation strategies are then presented to the review board, which selects the technologies to commercialise. IC² also provides the company with a set of technology screening and market assessment and validation process technologies and tools designed to permit them to replicate the process internally on other projects.

The ATAC program is led by award-winning UT faculty, and is based on the curriculum and methodology developed for IC²'s seven-year-old Master of Science Degree in Science and Technology Commercialisation (MSSTC) program.

 

 

17 July 2002:

Knowledge & Technology Transfer: Implementation

Following the successful delivery of our “Science & Technology Commercialisation Workshop” early this year, Tekstrategy have joined forces with TLT Solicitors to offer a complete knowledge and technology transfer support service based on our UK and US experiences.

 The programme  consists of three key activities: 

	Masterclass for Senior Management
	Strategy Development
	Implementation Programme

To download the programme, please click here.

The innovative programme is supported by the Department for Trade and Industry, The IC² Institute at University of Texas, Higher Education Regional Development Association (South West) and TLT Venturing Ltd.

              

TLT Solicitors have worked with universities on a range of commercial and intellectual property issues, including technology transfer.  The IC² Institute, Tekstrategy’s strategic partner, is a leading institute in science & technology commercialisation. Together we developed and delivered the first science & technology commercialisation workshop in the UK (see press release 1st  February 2002  below).

If you are interested in the the training element and/or the strategy development of the above programme, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Razak Gradyon 020 8223 7781 or by email (Admin@Tekstrategy.co.uk)

 

 

14th June 2002:

Expert Exchange: Tekstrategy & Finnish Partner

 

Tekstrategy is pleased to report that two key staff from their Finnish Partner,  Pohjis-Savo Polytechnic, has successfully concluded their UK visit (10-14 June 2002).  Riitta Rissanen (Head of Research & Development) and Maritta Korhonen (IT Principal Lecturer) spent a week with Tekstrategy sharing ideas and discussing technology transfer joint activities. The visit was funded by the European Union under the Expert Exchange Programme.

 

1st April 2002:

High Profile Visit to Finland by Tekstrategy Team

 

Tekstrategy is pleased to report that Professor John Pratt (Tekstrategy Education & Policy Analyst) is visiting Helsinki on 12 April 2002 at the request of the Finnish Ministry of Education to give a preliminary report on the Policy Review of Finnish higher education that he wrote on behalf of OECD. The final report will be formally presented to the Finnish Minister of Education and her officials in June 2002, and discussed at a meeting of OECD Education Committee in Helsinki.

29th March 2002:

Conference Participation by Tekstrategy Team

Tekstrategy has participated in UAce Conference, held at the University of Bath, 25-27 March 2002.  State Minister for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, Margaret Hodge MBE MP, made keynote speech during the opening of the conference.  During the conference, Dr Razak Grady (Tekstrategy Knowledge Transfer Engineer) and Professor David Turner (University of Glamorgan) made a presentation on the subject of “elearning and knowledge transfer”.

 

Paper Abstract: E-Learning & Knowledge Transfer:
 E-Learning & Knowledge Transfer Conference
 University of Bath, 26 March 2002
   
“Life-long learning (LLL) is a phrase which is widely used to recognise a shift which has taken place over the last fifty years or so.  The new eLearning environment offers LLL opportunities which have been widely recognised in training and educational circles. An eLearning environment provides an ideal tool for making knowledge available in a way which can be tailored to the individual needs of the life-long learner. But such a system will need to meet the needs of a range of users in an economical way – learners, authors, technicians who maintain the system, etc. The requirements of the system range from the technical to the pedagogical. This paper looks at the function of eLearning within modern commercial organisations (including academic institutions), and derives a range of criteria which are important in evaluating eLearning environments or managed (virtual) learning environments (M/VLEs). These criteria are used in a case study of one example of M/VLE, Xtensis, an eLearning product of XOR Ltd”. 

 1st February 2002: 

The UK's first practical learning programme for technology transfer, entrepreneurship and knowledge exchange!


The first workshop of its kind in the United Kingdom ended on Thursday 31st January 2002.  Tekstrategy and its strategic partner IC² Institute organised and delivered their three-day "Science and Technology Commercialisation Workshop" with the support of the UK Business Incubation, the Department for Trade and Industry, UK Science Park Association, East London Centre and Thames Gateway Technology Centre.  The considerable experience and success that the IC² brought from the United States combined with the UK experience of Tekstrategy and the experience and contribution of the delegates themselves made the workshop unique. 

Representing the government as guest of honour at this important event was the Minister of State Mr Stephen Timms from the Department for Education and Skills.  In his excellent speech to the attending delegates from across the UK, he outlined the government's latest initiatives in the field of entrepreneurship and enterprise.

The list of delegates included representatives from the UK Business Incubation and the Department of Trade and Industry, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, University of Hull, University of London, University of East London, University of Bristol, University of Hertfordshire, University of Central Lancashire, University of Greenwich, Dublin City University, Harris Knowledge Park, Sheffield Science and Technology Parks, East Midlands Development Agency, Council for the Central Lab of the Research Councils as well as others from the private sector.

By offering its participants an opportunity to experience a practical understanding of technology and knowledge transfer, the workshop has managed to fulfil its objectives within a relevant and interactive context, thus succeeding in creating a highly beneficial experience for the delegates.  Katie Jenkins, Manager of Harris Knowledge Park at the University of Central Lancashire is a prime example which reflects the advantages and overall satisfaction experienced by the delegates who have attended the workshop: "I have come away from this workshop with a very different view of the technology and commercialisation process. I will certainly review the way in which we operate"

For more information, contact Dr Razak Grady or Gordon McClure at Tekstrategy Ltd, Tel: 020 8223 7781, Fax: 020 8223 7502, Email: admin@tekstrategy.co.uk

Interview with the European Commission, Enterprise DG:
 Innovation & Technology Transfer, January 2002
   
Tekstrategy is pleased to report that the European Commission interview with its managing director, Dr Razak Grady, is now published in "Innovation & Technology Transfer", January 2002.  The interview was about innovation & business support and how a London incubator helped not only start-ups but also an existing company.  Dr Grady was very pleased to have helped that company (as mentioned in the interview) when he was responsible for the incubator. 
To view the article, please click here