The experience of the Technical University of Madrid in the programme of International Campus of Excellence (ICE)
Prof. Gonzalo Le贸n Vice President for Research Technical University of Madrid (UPM) Bucharest, November 2012 1
Objectives 1. To present the rationale for the preparation of proposals to the Programme of International Campus of Excellence by Spanish universities 2. To describe the consequences for decision making and priority-setting 3. To summarize the main activities carried in the two UPM proposals accepted by the Government: • Moncloa • Montegancedo 4. To extract a set of conclusions and lessons learned
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Rationale 1. The governance structures of the Spanish Universities make difficult the decision-making to set up institutional priorities for research or teaching •
•
Governance is based on the participation of faculty members, students and administrative personnel The consequence is a lack of focalisation of resources to compete better at the international level
2. The Programme of Campus of Excellence was defined to accelerate the search of excellence in some areas where each university liked to focus its effort •
To strength the cooperation (“aggregation”) with other entities (public or private) to combine resources and capacities 3
Benefits of the Programme for universities (I) 1. An opportunity to set up priorities in the context of the knowledge triangle a. An external “excuse� for allocating funds in some areas
2. Aggregations (long-term partnerships) with other universities was a basic ingredient to be selected 3. Excellence can be related to any of the perspectives of the knowledge triangle (research, innovation, education) a. Very important criteria for a technological university
Universities did not know the long-term effects ...but it was perceived that it was better to participate and win 4
Benefits of the Programme for universities (II) 1. Funding was based on a combination of grants and loans a. Small amounts (less than 1% of the annual budget) to generate a deep change in universities b. In many cases, high percentage of loans introduced a derived problem with the present economic crisis
2. The involvement of local or regional authorities was very different in selected campuses a. smaller in larger cities where several campus of excellence shared the local/regional interest
The lack of permanent support (one-shot funding) has reduced the effects of the implemented measures 5
Participation of the UPM in the programme of International Campus of Excellence Different calls funded by two ministries with (slightly) different goals and emphasis MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (general leadership )
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
UPM has obtained the official recognition for the two proposals presented to open calls MONCLOA CAMPUS Jointly presented with the Universidad Complutense Emphasis placed on 6 thematic clusters
MONTEGANCEDO CAMPUS Emphasis placed on innovation with the ICT as driving tool 6
Why two proposals? (I) 1. The Spanish administration approved a programme not on the basis of the excellence of the whole university but on specific areas where each university (or several) had a project to improve its excellence is some areas • Evaluation on the basis of the actions presented 2. The UPM has 5 campus with different structures and history located in the region of Madrid • Moncloa These two campuses were selected for specific projects • Montegancedo • Campus Sur • Getafe • Different schools located at the centre of Madrid 7
Why two proposals? (II) 1. Campus Moncloa •
Historical Campus in Madrid (Ciudad Universitaria) •
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Shared between the UPM and the UCM •
•
Thousands of researchers and more than 100,000 students Also with several facilities of other public research entities
Project based on the idea of increasing the cooperation between two public universities
2. Campus Montegancedo •
New Campus located near Madrid (500,000 sqm in Pozuelo de Alarcón) owned by the UPM •
•
Possibilities to expand the activities with new centres
Project based on the cooperation with private entities to support technology innovation 8
Why Moncloa as a Campus of Excellence? “The Power of Diversity” 1. UPM and UCM are complementary universities • •
UPM only covers engineering and architecture studies more focused on applied research UCM is a comprehensive university (science, humanities, medicine, etc., without engineering or architecture studies) more focused on basic research
2. Huge opportunity for sharing facilities and to launch common activities • •
In research: focusing in some areas where cooperation is possible In teaching: creation of new joint degrees
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Why Montegancedo as a Campus of Excellence? “I2Tech: Support to Innovation� 1. New approach: Campus were the UPM was interested in the creation and location of new research centres or joint labs with other public or private entities a. Interdisciplinary perspective b. Emphasis on ICT and biotech
2. Experiment with new cooperation with industry
approaches
for
long-term
a. based on institutional support and shared commitments
3. Implementation of a user-driven open innovation scheme a. Emphasis on the exploitation of research results 10
Montegancedo today • 500 researchers, 200 professors and 3,500 students • 8 research centres in operation 100 M€ • Faculty of Informatics, invested in • Advanced services on RTD and innovation 2005-2012 • supercomputing, living labs The proposal which obtained the official recognition was designed to convert Montegancedo in a Campus with a strong involvement of industry and other entities through partnership with the UPM
“focused on the support to technology innovation based on extensive use of ICT looking for new opportunities for collaboration at the international level” 11
Montegancedo: a model for open innovation Education Faculty of Informatics Graduate International School
The three axes of the knowledge triangle complement and reinforce the model
Graduate courses in research centres
Government structure of ICE Construction
Living labs
Innovation
Solar housing
CAIT
Photovoltaic concentration
Montegancedo is linked to the rest of the UPM from an international perspective CITA CBGP
CEDINT CESVIMA
IMDEA SW CTB
Research 12
Montegancedo today Centro de empresas IMDEA SW
CESVIMA
CAIT
Campus Montegancedo
Centro Aeroespacial (IDR, USOC)
(Pozuelo de Alarcón)
Aldea solar
Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas Tecnología Biomédica
.COM
CEDINT Domótica integral 13
International perspective of the Campus Montegancedo (I) • Agreements with other entities: – Participation in large international research projects • i.e. FP7, ESA, Blue Brain, etc.
– To be able to create joint labs in ICT or BioTech • Associated node of the IC-Labs (KIC-EIT) January 2013
• Joint graduate programmes – Master degrees in research centres
• Recruitment of researchers: – Specific programmes for attracting international talent supported through agreements with external entities 14
International perspective of the Campus Montegancedo (II) • Agreements with other entities: – At the international level: • Universities: Univ. Colorado (Denver, USA), Toulouse (France), Campinas(Brazil) • Firms: EU (Elekta, T-Systems) USA (LPI), Brazil (Sinopec-Repsol)
– At the national level: • Strategic agreement with Spanish firms located in Brazil (INDRA, Repsol)
• Recruitment of researchers: – Post-docs programmes (partly funded by People-FP7) • 3 years contracts for young post-docs in research centres
– International recruitment of senior researchers • Permanent positions (Isaac Peral -BBVA programme) 15
The role of the private sector • The creation of strategic alliances with the private sector is a basic element for the success – Based on the strong relationship and mutual trust with companies
• Interest shifts from project-to-project cooperation to strategic long-term alliances – Long-term partnership associated to the creation of joint labs or units
• Some strategic agreements under progress: – – – – – –
IBM (high performance computing for computational biology) INDRA (medical platforms) Repsol (bio-fuels and simulation) Santander (banking services of the future) Elekta (magnetoencephalography) ... 16
CAIT: Support centre for technology innovation • The University requires to improve the exploitation of research results (not only patents) – How to mature technologies created at the UPM?
“living labs” and technology demonstrators Commercialisation of results
Spin-offs and support services
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Campus of International Building up the excellence of Excellence Moncloa Campus Montegancedo Campus The Power of of International Excellence CiudadICT Universitaria, in the convergence between and Health Madrid Diversity largestmain concentration Implemented The on three exes: of students and researchers in Spain in a single campus
• • Pro-active Internationalization institutional
backing foragreements its creation and projection in other countries – Stable from Ministries • Attraction of talent and the Universities – New chairs bodies for senior researchers and recruitment of Governing post-docs
• Aggregation How can two large and so different Universities firms build ain – Strategic alliances with large multinational common the priorityCampus areas to generate excellence? 18
Campus of International Building up the excellence Excellence Moncloa Campusof (I) Montegancedo
StrategicCampus objectives of International Excellence
in the convergence between ICT and • Knowledge Generation: be a centre of Health reference for on three mainareas exes: knowledgeImplemented and technology in some Focus in 5 clusters (in 2011 a new cluster was added) • • Internationalization
• Knowledge Transference: take a qualitative – Stable agreements and projection in otherstep countries forward in university-business-society collaboration,
• Attraction of talent
• increasing the number of contracts with companies, patents –registered New chairs for senior researchers and recruitment of and spin-offs created
post-docs
• Open innovation: foster the interconnection between •the Aggregation universities promoting the Campus and other – Strategicinstitutions alliances with multinational firms in participating and large companies the priority areas 19
Campus of International Building up the excellence Excellence Moncloa Campus of (II) Montegancedo Campus of International Excellence 27 general and structural in the convergence between ICT and Health actions form the on three main exes: foundationsImplemented of the project and sustain its • Internationalization main pillars:
– Stable agreements and projection in other countries 5 RESEARCH • Attraction of talent CLUSTERS – New chairs for senior researchers and recruitment of with 33 specialised post-docs actions • One Aggregation additional cluster on Mobility – Strategic alliances with large multinational firms in the priority areas 20
Type of activities
•
Building up the excellence of Human resources Montegancedo • Calls for Pre-docs contracts • 4 years, double (UCM,Excellence UPM) Campus ofsupervision International
in the convergence between ICT and Health • Calls for Post-docs contracts Implemented three maingroups exes: • 2 years, allocated to on joint research
• •Scientific cooperation Internationalization • –Joint research centresand projection in other countries Stable agreements Calls for partial funding (75%) of common infrastructures • • Attraction of talent
• Joint Graduate School – New chairs for senior researchers and recruitment of • Joint Master degrees (approved in both universities) post-docs Joint bachelor degrees under definition • • Aggregation
• Horizontal measures – Strategic alliances with large multinational firms in the priority of areas • Improvement the Campus (high-speed networks) 21
Governance of Campus Building Moncloa up the excellence of Montegancedo Campus of International Excellence in the convergence between ICT and Health Implemented on three main exes:
• Internationalization – Stable agreements and projection in other countries
• Attraction of talent – New chairs for senior researchers and recruitment of post-docs
• Aggregation – Strategic alliances with large multinational firms in the priority areas 22
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The situation Building … upthree the years excellence later (I) of Governance Montegancedo Campus InternationalisExcellence • The concept ofof “aggregation” conceptually very in the convergence between ICT and Health powerful but very complex to implement ondecision-making three main exes: • It hasImplemented not reduced the steps but created another extra-level
• Internationalization
• Changes in the high-level management of universities –introduced Stable agreements anddelays projection in other countries instability and
• Attraction of talentThematic scope
– New chairs for senior researchers and recruitment of post-docs
• Aggregation
Aggregation period Volume of – Strategic alliances with large multinational firms in funding
the priority areas
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The situation Building… upthree the years excellence later (II) of Montegancedo Economic crisis Campus ofhas International Excellence • The programme been “frozen” by the new Spanish in the convergence between ICThave and Health Government in 2012 (no more calls been planned) Implemented on three main exes: • But the follow-up of pre-existent grants is in progress
•• Internationalization The situation of Spanish universities is becoming difficult and it is forcing the re-planning of the actions – Stable agreements and projection in other countries
•
• Regional governments have not accepted the commitment Attraction ofloans talent derived from
Newactivities chairs for senior researchers recruitment • – Many were planned under theand assumption of of post-docs additional funds (for instance, from S&T Parks) • The lack of additional calls or the hard conditions to access to • Aggregation loans are forcing the redefinition of activities
– Strategic alliances with large multinational firms in the priority areas 24
The future
Building up the excellence of Montegancedo
Political agreement to continue the “aggregation” after 2015
Campus Montegancedo
Increase the Increase the CampusConsolidation of International Excellence critical mass cooperation with in the convergence of the new between ICT and Health of students and industry and the research centres The evolution Implemented on three main exes:exploitation of results researchers
of the UPM (in context • the Internationalization of Spain) Commonand actions – Stable agreements projection in other countries will condition future of •theAttraction of talent Campus Moncloa both campus
– New chairs for senior researchers and recruitment of Consolidation Implementation Joint research post-docs of the common of the Joint
•
Aggregationgovernance structures
Doctorate and Master School
groups and centres
– Strategic alliances with large multinational firms in the priority areas
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Conclusions
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Building up the excellence of The Programme on International Campus of Montegancedo Excellence constitutes an effort to promote a strategic
Campus of International Excellence modernisation process at universities in the convergence between ICT based and Health • The funding of the projects is mainly on loans Implemented onof three main exes: and it conditions the type activities to be supported Internationalization • •The UPM has obtained the recognition of two proposals towards goals – Stableoriented agreements and complementary projection in other countries It is the basis for a new strategic positioning • • Attraction of talent – New chairs for senior researchers and recruitment of post-docs
• Aggregation – Strategic alliances with large multinational firms in the priority areas 26