Pilot Netherlands Innovation Acceleration Fund (NIAF) launched
The initiative from Dr. Dirk Smit and Dr.ir. Wim van Saarloos must lead to demand-driven research and 'a better ecosystem for innovation'.
Dr. Dirk Smit, Vice President Exploration Technology Shell and Chief Scientist Geophysics Shell, and FOM director Dr.ir. Wim van Saarloos are the initiators of the Netherlands Innovation Acceleration Fund (NIAF) in which companies will invest money to fund scientific research of their choice. Smit and Van Saarloos are currently holding discussions with several Chief Technology Officers from large companies. If enough companies support the initiative then a pilot can start in 2014. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has, in principle, stated that a TKI allowance will be made available for NIAF projects as long as these satisfy the official conditions.
Aimed at innovative solutions
Smit and Van Saarloos were inspired to set up the NIAF by the MIT Energy Initiative in Boston, of which Shell is a co-founder. The NIAF has adopted the same set-up as this MIT fund: when companies invest in the NIAF they acquire certain rights. They can state which scientific challenges they see for the long-term. Subsequently scientists can respond to this by means of research proposals. From these research proposals the companies choose the desired projects. Two-thirds of the money from the funds is intended for demand-driven research of the participating companies and one-third for open-ended research, which in the eyes of Smit and Van Saarloos "can be blue sky." Van Saarloos explains the funding model: "We are looking for contributions from the largest companies of one to two million euros per year but smaller partners such as SMEs can participate as well, in accordance with their means. We are considering giving associated companies the right to follow the programme for a sum of 5000 euros per year, for example. That would allow them to see what is coming in from science and they would have the option to express their interest in becoming involved in a project." Van Saarloos sees a role for FOM in this "FOM, or another unit within NWO, can assume a matchmaking role, publish the calls and direct the selection process." He emphasises that the calls will not be aimed at certain disciplines but at solutions: "As far as we are concerned proposals can come from any discipline."
Also short-term projects
Smit, like Van Saarloos, is convinced that the funding of research via the NIAF can accelerate innovative development: "If companies can choose their own projects, and the researcher and the company can come into contact with each other straightaway then that will lead to a faster filtering and realisation of ideas for innovation. Another advantage is that companies - both SMEs and large companies – can opt for short-term research projects. Standard public-private research programmes are usually linked to research projects of postdocs or PhDs that take five to six years to complete, and for companies that is often too long. In the United States master students are frequently involved in short-term projects. I want to make Dutch professors enthusiastic for this approach. A defined exploration period of about six months carries limited risk for both companies and research institutions and is therefore attractive for both parties".
Van Saarloos hopes that a successful NIAF construction will lead to an indirect benefit: "I expect extra investments from industry in universities and research institutes if closer and more direct contacts develop so that researchers gain a better view of the challenges companies face and the companies realise what science can offer. Our plan ties in perfectly with the government's top sector policy".