Academics to put knowledge to the test with real-life business problems

SMEs will have the opportunity to explore and develop R&D ideas with business leaders and NUI Maynooth researchers at the Connect 2013 in Carton House this Wednesday.

Academics are hungry to contribute to business success stories and test their knowledge in the real world and businesses all too often do not develop because of lack of access to R&D which can be a very costly process, according to the event organisers.

Chance for academics
John Scanlan, director of commercialisation at NUI Maynooth, said academics often don't get the chance to put their ideas and knowledge into real practice.

“Businesses from the very tiny SMEs and sole traders to the large multinationals come to the event with problems they need help solving,” he said.

More than 200 Irish SMEs and entrepreneurs from around the country are expected to attend the event, which will include seminars on EU funding programmes for research and development partnerships, innovation in life sciences and business development supports.

Speakers include FeedHenry CTO Mícheál Ó Foghlú, Blue Box Sensors chief executive Rory Geoghegan NUI Maynooth vice president for research Prof Bernard Mahon and Deirdre Glenn, head of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Energy Commercialisation team at Enterprise Ireland.