Universities as a Small Business Technology Partner (Making Technology Happen)

1. Universities as a Small Business Technology Partner(Making Technology Happen) Dr Brian Mergelas President and CEO The Pressure Pipe Inspection Company

2. Outline • Life before PPIC • What do we do? • History of collaboration (Queen’s University) • Observations

3. Life Before PPIC

4. Pipetronix XHR Need a willing partner

5. PPIC’s Impact on the Water Sector

6. Well Field PPIC Services • 10th anniversary • 50 Employees in Mississauga, Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta Reservoir Water Treatment Surface Water PPIC

7. RFTC Inspection of PCCP

9. Various Sensor Types Detects active deterioration (PCCP) Third Party Damage Possibly leaks HIGH RISK areas Strategic Pipeline Monitoring

10. History of Technology Partnership between Queen’s and PPIC • Industry Identified Problem • Start Up of PPIC • Funding of Research • Collaboration • Research Projects

11. Start Up • Queen’s/ Atherton (right of first refusal) • Patent • Equity Position • Licenses agreement (Atherton; Queen’s)

12. Funding of Research • NSERC (Strategic/ CRD) • AWWARF • Precarn; SDTC • In kind Support (PPIC and Partners) In general it’s about leverage We don’t have the money our clients do

13. Collaboration • Equipment; personnel • Transfer of people to PPIC • Engineering Thesis topics • Real World Problems • Scholarship • Papers

14. Research Projects • Queen’s • Finite Element Analysis • Coupled Circuit Analysis • Technology limitations • Electrolytic Simulations • PPIC • Data Analysis • Pipe Specific Considerations • Uncertainty/ Accuracy • Instrumentation and Delivery Systems

15. Its Easy • Its Hard Myths about Technology Transfer

16. There is a big difference between a good idea and a business… • Sales • Marketing • Operations • Production • Distribution/Delivery • Human Resources • Finance…

17. Where you think your idea fits… Where someone else thinks it fits… The Innovation Chain

18. Choices for a University Professor • Research for research sake • Work with industry partner to research “interesting” real world problems • Start a business to commercialize idea(s) – big slice of a small pie • Partner to see some rewards for innovation – small slice of a big pie

19. My Thoughts on Technology Transfer • Mostly people… • Employees • Advisory • Exchanges • Startups (intimate) vs licenses (less so) • Real World Problems vs. Fundamental Research

20. Other Examples of Technology Transfer in Action • Ryerson • Penn State • University of Alberta • University of Toronto • Waterloo (CATT) • University of Arlington

21. Summary Observations • There’s a big difference between and clever idea and a business • We don’t have the money, our clients do • Technology transfer is mostly about people NOT technology • Win-win-win means the professor benefits; the university benefits and the company benefits

22. Thank You