@Poh Kam WONG

Universitys role in supporting innovation &

entrepreneurship: Lessons from National
University of Singapore (NUS)
Professor Wong Poh Kam
NUS Business School & LKY School of Public Policy
Director, NUS Entrepreneurship Centre

@Poh Kam WONG

Universitys role in supporting Innovation

& Entrepreneurship
The open nature of the university model for knowledge
production & exchange
Open Culture of Scientific Commons vs. Proprietary IP
system for technology commercialization in private firms
High flow of talents (students but increasingly professors as
well) in university model vs. moderate churn in firms
Spatial proximity of, & porosity of boundary between
diverse disciplinary fields, facilitating cross-disciplinary
research
Increasing adoption of Third Mission
Adapting the traditional university model to incorporate a
technology commercialization role in addition to the
traditional roles of teaching & research

@Poh Kam WONG

Third Mission Challenges: Integrationofopen

sciencemodelwithtechnologycommercialization&
academicentrepreneurshiprole

Incorporation of technology commercialization role as an integral

part of the universitys mission without sacrificing the push for
excellence in basic science
Balancing Pasteur Quadrant (Use-inspired basic research) &
shorter-term applied research
Implementing proprietary IP commercialization management
while maintaining culture of open science
While R&D collaboration with, & licensing of technology to,
industry represents the key mechanism for open innovation by
university in advanced economies, in the context of NIEs where
existing high tech industry is weak, commercialization through
entrepreneurial spin-offs may be even more important
Changing mindset of faculty and students

@Poh Kam WONG

University role in supporting Innovation &

Entrepreneurship
Lessons from the experience of National University of
Singapore (NUS) in seeking to become a driver knowledgeeconomy development by fostering industry linkages and
entrepreneurial spin-offs
Lessons from other Asian universities based on a recently
completed 2-year comparative study of university technology
commercialization and academic entrepreneurship involving 11
leading Asian universities

@Poh Kam WONG

Comparative R&D Indicators, Selected OECD/Asian Economies

Source : NSF Science & Engineering Indicators 2008, OECD Main Science & Technology Indicators 2008, national sources

@Poh Kam WONG

Changing Role of NUS in Singapores shift

towards a knowledge-based economy
Until the mid-1990s, NUS, as the oldest and leading university in
Singapore, has emphasized the traditional twin academic
missions of providing excellent education to the nations
population, and contributing to the creation of new knowledge
through engagement in R&D activities geared primarily
towards scientific publications
Since then, NUS has not only continued to pursue excellence in
these twin academic missions, but has moved decisively
towards adopting a Third Mission by implementing an
entrepreneurial university model

@Poh Kam WONG

Ranking of NUS in the World University Rankings

by the Times Higher Education Supplement, 2004-08
Ranked30thinthe2008TimesHigherEducationSupplement
oftop200universitiesintheWorld

@Poh Kam WONG

New Roles of NUS in the Context of Singapores

Shift towards Knowledge Economy
Contribute to the Creation of New Knowledge-based Industries
To support knowledge-based economic growth through the
creation of industrially-relevant knowledge/innovation and their
commercialization, and to attract global MNCs in new emerging
industries
Attraction of Foreign Talents
Go beyond education for the local population to compete for
global talents by attracting top students and faculty from
overseas, as is done by top universities in USA
Fostering Entrepreneurial Mindset
In the past, high economic growth has provided NUS
graduates with good career prospects as salaried employees,
particularly in MNC subsidiaries and government
In the future knowledge economy, stable job opportunities no
longer guaranteed, need to inculcate spirit of enterprise

@Poh Kam WONG

Key Changes in NUS, Before and After Shift

to Entrepreneurial University Model

@Poh Kam WONG

Comparisons of NUS vs. Selected Leading

Universities Patents granted by USPTO
Cumulative 1976 to 2005

2005

# of
patents

Rank among
worlds
universities

# of
patents

# of licensing

University of California

5615

310

265

MIT

2825

133

93

University of Illinois

545

10

65

63

Stanford University

1541

100

109

University of Pennsylvania

718

14

37

37

University of Southern California

413

31

35

35

Georgia Tech

510

22

43

43

Oxford University

98

97

34

Cambridge University

35

127

41

Imperial College

97

98

n.a.

National Univ. of Singapore

182

67

26

40

Name of Institution

@Poh Kam WONG

NUS Publications and Citations 1996 vs 2006

The new emphasis on Technology Commercialization has NOT been at the expense
of pursuit of Research Excellence:
NUS annual journal article output increased almost 3-fold between 1996 and
2006
Research quantity (publications per faculty member) and quality (citations
received per faculty member and per paper) has also increased over this time
NUS journal articles tend to be more highly cited than the average Singapore
journal article

Note: Includes SCI- and SSCI-indexed articles only

1
Using citation data up to 7 August 2008
Source: Thomson ISI Web of Science

@Poh Kam WONG

Academic Entrepreneurship:
Number of NUS Spin-offs, 1980-2006
NUSchangeinpolicytoencouragingtechnologycommercialization
throughspinoffandstartupformationafter2000hasfacilitatedan
increasedrateofspinoffformation
AveragenumberofspinoffsbasedonNUSIPincreasedfromless
than1peryearbefore2000to5peryearafter2000
Morethan60startupsbyNUSprofessors,studentsandalumni
receivedseedfundingandincubation/mentoringservicesfromNUS
EntrepreneurshipCentresince2000,>10havereceivedfollowon
investmentsbyexternalinvestors

@Poh Kam WONG

Lessons from NUS experience

Set Appropriate Strategic Vision
Strong & Sustained Commitment by Top Leadership
Introduce new organizational mechanisms to support
change
Recruit the right people to lead the change
Study global best practice, but innovate ones own
approach based on own unique context; learn and
adapt over time
Build strategic international linkages

@Poh Kam WONG

New Vision of NUS in the 21st Century:

Towards a Global Knowledge Enterprise
A leading global university centerd in Asia,
influencing the future
To become a globally-oriented university, in the
distinguished league of the worlds leading
universities
To become a bold and dynamic community, with a
no walls culture and a spirit of enterprise which
strives for positive influence and impact through our
education, research and service
To be a key node in the global knowledge network,
with distinctive expertise and insights relating to Asia

@Poh Kam WONG

NUS Envisioned Role in Singapores

High Technology Economy
Venture capital /angel investors
& other venture professionals
attracted to work with University

World-class R&D
investments attracted
to collaborate with
University

High tech ventures created

or facilitated by University

NUS as Global
Knowledge Enterprise

Top talents (researchers,

students) attracted to work &
study in University

Talented graduates with

entrepreneurial mindsets

15

@Poh Kam WONG

Introduce New Organization Mechanisms to

implement Change
Corporatization of NUS to give it greater autonomy & flexibility
Creation of a new Organizational Division NUS Enterprise
Broad mission to inject a more entrepreneurial dimension to NUS
education and research
Holistic approach to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship
CEO reports directly to president
Budget initially pegged as a fixed % of overall university budget,
growth in future years to be achieved by its own revenue/fund raising
Establishment of new International Collaborative R&D mechanisms
with leading universities and industry partners around the world
Inviting foreign universities & MNCs to establish joint research lab
within NUS campus (e.g. CREATE)
Building a global network of entrepreneurship education & start-up
hubs

@Poh Kam WONG

Recruiting the Right People to lead change

Appoint change leaders who understand both academia and industry

Appointed as first CEO an engineering school professor who had

founded a spin-off to commercialize his inventions
Second CEO is a veteran venture capitalist with prior academic
research, start-up and government experience
Director of NUS Entrepreneurship Centre is an academic with
entrepreneurial and angel investing experience
Extensive tapping of people with industry experience, both in
Singapore and internationally
Advisory Committee comprising entrepreneurs, investors and senior
business leaders
Use of investors and entrepreneurs as adjunct lecturers
Network of Mentors drawn from venture investment & entrepreneurial
community, both in Singapore and Overseas

@Poh Kam WONG

Integrated,HolisticEcosystemApproach
Experiential Education

Industry Engagement
& Partnerships

NOC / iLEAD:
ILO
Promote the transfer of
Immerse NUS students in
leading entrepreneurial and
University-generated
academic hubs around the
knowledge and technology
to industry.
world with the aim of
nurturing tomorrows global
entrepreneurs.
Pipelines
work & study in new
environment & culture
1st hand insights into the
mechanisms of a startup
study in a prestigious
overseas university
network with renowned
entrepreneurs

Protect, manage &

commercialise IPs
industry connection &
partnerships
pro-actively engage
faculty and R&D cluster

Entrepreneurship
Support
NEC
Providing entrepreneurial
support by providing the
software (people,
knowledge, nurturing) and
hardware (incubator space,
network, funding).
Mentoring & nurturing
Incubator &venture
support
Networking & outreach
pro-actively develop spinoffs
Monitor and benchmark
through research on
entrepreneurship

Continuing Education - NEX

@Poh Kam WONG

NUS Enterprise Incubator: A holistic

ecosystem approach
Expertise & Management

Generation of Pipelines
Ideas/projects pipeline from
NOC/ILO/NUS community
Partnerships with IHLs, Polys,
RIs and overseas counterparts.
Start-Up@Singapore
competitions
Technology Scouts
Funding & Infrastructure
Use university seed fund to
leverage co-funding from
government agencies (NRF,
SPRING, MDA, IDA)
Infrastructural support like
NUS R&D labs, IP advisory,
legal/accounting services

NUS
Enterprise

Incubator Managers
Mentor Network (Global & Local)
Capability Development &
Training (e.g. Marketing)
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

Incubation

Outputs
- Collaborations (Industry)
- Licenses
- Spin-offs

Physical Incubators
University-wide
Faculty-based
Overseas launching
pads

Priority technology
focus synergized with
strategic sectors being
promoted at the
national level

@Poh Kam WONG

Learn from the Best, but Pioneer Ones Own

Approach based on ones unique
circumstances
Global

Experiential Entrepreneurship Learning: NUS

Overseas College (NOC) Program
The Singapore-MIT Alliance Program
The CREATE Initiative
The RCE Initiative

@Poh Kam WONG

Infusing Entrepreneurial & Global Mindset:

The NUS Overseas College initiative

Initiated in 2001, program aims to send 200 NUS undergraduate

students per year to five high tech entrepreneurial hubs in the world;
180 in 2008
Experiential Education: Learning by immersion Model
Work as interns in high-tech start-ups in host region for one year
Take entrepreneurship courses in partner universities in host region
Return to NUS to complete their final semester/year
Infuse entrepreneurial, global mindset
Influence future career choices towards entrepreneurial and
innovative pursuits
Establish social networks with overseas entrepreneurial
communities to facilitate future collaboration
Serve as catalyst for mindset change among their peers in NUS when
they return

@Poh Kam WONG

Experiential Entrepreneurial Education

(2002) NUS College in Silicon Valley, USA
Study at Stanford & work in the innovation habitat

(2003) NUS College in Bio Valley, USA

Study at UPenn & work in the US pharma hotbed

(2004) NUS College in Shanghai, China

Study at Fudan & work in Chinas commercial hub

(2005) NUS College in Stockholm, Europe

Study at KTH/SSE & work in Europes No.1 IT hub

(2008) NUS College in Bangalore, India

Study at IISc & work in Indias high-tech hub

(2008) iLEAD, Singapore

Study in NUS & work in Singapores knowledgeintensive enterprises

(2009) NUS College in Beijing, China

Study at Tsinghua & work in Chinas high-tech hub

@Poh Kam WONG

Building Global Educational Links:

The Singapore-MIT Alliance Program
Established in 1998, the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) is an innovative
engineering and life science educational and research collaboration
involving the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), and MIT, with students recruited
globally
The program is intended to combine a focus on creativity and
entrepreneurship with an intense, hands-on approach to research,
leveraging on MITs experience in developing industrial collaboration
and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among its students. All
students will reside a minimum of one semester at MIT. In Singapore,
they will attend live MIT classes and take part in research meetings
with MIT faculty, staff and students through video-conferencing
The success of the first phase of the program, where the degree is
granted by NUS solely, to the establishment of a second phase, where the
degree is granted jointly by NUS and MIT

@Poh Kam WONG

Building Global R&D Links: The International

Campus for Research Excellence and
Technological Enterpise (CREATE) Initiative
Recognizing the importance of building strong linkages with global
institutions to enhance Singapores connectivity to other centres of
research in US and Europe, and accelerate Singapores thrusts
towards an innovative and entrepreneurial economy, the Research,
Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) (chaired by the Prime
Minister) initiated in 2006 the International Campus for Research
Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) Program
The Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)
Centre was established in NUS as the first CREATE program.
SMART houses joint, inter-disciplinary research between NUS and
MIT professors. The first project focuses on infectious diseases &
environmental sensing.
A second CREATE with European partners is being finalized with ETH
(Switzerland), and a third with Technion University, Israel

@Poh Kam WONG

Building Nodes of Global Excellence: The

Research Centre of Excellence (RCE) Initiative
Recognizing the need for Singapore to build peaks of global
excellence in selected fields of knowledge in order for Singapore
to become a truly integral node in the global innovation network,
the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Singapore
Ministry of Education (MOE) have committed to fund a number
of new Research Centre of Excellence (RCEs) in Singapore.
NUS has so far successfully won the bid to establish three of the
four RCEs in Singapore
the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT)
The Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSIS)
The Mechanobiology Research Centre

@Poh Kam WONG

NUS International Collaborative Innovation

Initiatives Environmental & Water
Technologies

GE-NUS partnership on Water & Process Technologies

MOU signed in September 2006, GE Water to invest SGD 130 million over 10 years to
establish a Global R&D Centre on Water & Process Technologies hosted at NUS School of
Engineering
Focus on Water Quality and Water Scarcity, aligned with Singapores Global Hydrohub
vision
Singapore-Delft Water Alliance (SDWA)
Research collaboration launched in February 2007 between NUS, Delft Hydraulics
(Netherlands) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB)
Funding of SGD 64 million over 3 years, with support from the Environment and Water
Industry Development Council (EWI) of the NRF
Hosted at NUS School of Engineering, aims to advance S&T in water sector through
demand-driven research, post-graduate and professional education and specialised
consultancy services.; Operations were kick-started with four research programs, involving
70 researchers from NUS, Delft University of Technology and Delft Hydraulics

@Poh Kam WONG

NUS International Collaborative Innovation

Initiatives Environmental & Water Technologies
(contd)

NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI)

Established in early 2007, with university funding of SGD 12 million over 3 years
Adopts a research cluster approach, accommodating cross-disciplinary research
areas and faculty-focused research units in 3 focus Areas: (i) Air, land & water
systems; (ii) Human & environmental health; (iii) Energy systems
Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS)
Established in February 2008 by NUS in partnership with the Clean Energy
Program Office (CEPO), with expected investment of SGD130 million over 5 yr
Aims to be a world-class solar R&D centre positioned optimally between
university science and industry, and to groom pool of solar energy specialists
Focus on 3 key research areas: (i) silicon-based solar cells; (ii) novel photovoltaic
(PV) devices and materials; (iii) Solar and Energy-efficient Buildings
Emphasis on active collaborate on research and education programs with
outstanding scientists and research centres to build homegrown capabilities,
starting with 25 researchers and expected to growth to 90 researchers in 5 years.
Additionally, expect to produce up to 50 PhD and 20 Masters students in 5 years

@Poh Kam WONG

NUS International Collaborative Innovation

Initiatives Biomedical Sciences

NUS-Duke Graduate Medical School Singapore (GMS)

Established in 2005 as Singapores second medical school
Research-intensive curriculum based on Duke University model of medical
education to develop clinician-scientists to engage in translational research

Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSIS)

Announced in March 2008 by NRF and the Ministry of Education (MOE) with
SGD 172 mil funding over 7 years
Offers opportunity for team of eminent international faculty to work with NUS
faculty on cancer research, expects to train 100 graduate students and 70
postdoctoral fellows
Specialty programs will include Cancer Stem Cell Programme, Cancer Biology
Programme, Genomic Oncology Programme and Experimental Therapeutics
Programme

NUS Clinical Research Collaboration with RIKEN, Japan

Collaboration between doctors and researchers from NUS, NUH and RIKEN
(Japans oldest and most established research institution), commenced in 2007,
to develop and validate a molecular diagnostic test for personalised therapy for
lung cancer patients

@Poh Kam WONG

NUS International Collaborative Innovation

Initiatives Interactive Digital Media

Interactive and Digital Media Institute (IDMI)

Launched in April 2007 with seed funding of SGD 11 million over 3 years, as
Singapores first inter-disciplinary research institute in IDM.
Undertakes application-inspired basic research in IDM, trains graduate students
from Singapore and Asia, and transfer intellectual and human capital
Comprises eight laboratories in mixed reality, sociable robotics, games, ambient
intelligence, multimedia sensing, cognitive and social studies, arts & creativity,
and multimodal analysis.

NUS Hollywood Lab

Opened in July 2006 in Los Angeles to foster international R&D collaboration
in IDM with major Hollywood studios, universities and entertainment
companies in North America, and to promote student exchange and visiting
professor programmes, and joint business ventures between Singapore and USA

Keio-NUS CUTE Centre (Connective Ubiquitous Technology for

Embodiments)
Jointly set up between Keio University and NUS in 2008 to support
collaborative R&D in IDM in Singapore, will involve more than 50 researchers
from Japan and Singapore, focusing on pervasive content for wearable and body
media

@Poh Kam WONG

Lessons from other Leading Asian Universities

Comparative study of leading Asian universities (Tokyo University,
Tohoku University, Kyushu University, Tsinghua University, National
Taiwan University, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology,
KAIST, IIT Mumbai and IIT Madras, Multimedia Universiti Malaysia,
Mahidol University Thailand)
Overall, trend of increasing emphasis on technology commercialization
& academic entrepreneurship by all the universities
But some diversity of approaches adopted due to differences in national
contexts & stages of development
Influence of top-down government policy evident in several economies
Except for the Japanese universities, relatively higher emphasis on
spin-offs than industrial licensing vs. the advanced economies
Perceived lack of interest by researchers and lack of understanding of
industry were biggest barriers to technology commercialization