Press Release – The Cyprus Research & Innovation Foundation announces its collaboration with Knowledge Transfer consultant Tom Hockaday
Press Release
29 March 2021
The Cyprus Research & Innovation Foundation announces its collaboration with Knowledge Transfer consultant Tom Hockaday
- Aiming to enhance and facilitate high-level knowledge transfer activities in Cyprus
- Tom Hockaday is one of the leading figures in the world of university technology transfer and university-business interactions
The Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) announces that Mr. Tom Hockaday has been selected as an external consultant to provide strategic advice, expertise and knowhow on the establishment of an effective institutional framework, funding programmes and complementary services of RIF’s central KTO to support knowledge transfer in Cyprus.
Tom Hockaday is one of the leading figures in the world of university technology transfer and university-business interactions. He has extensive expertise in the areas of technology transfer, intellectual property management, innovation management, early-stage investment finance, seed-fund management and governance, university management, entrepreneurship and company growth from research to market. He has advised numerous organisations around the world, including universities, public authorities and funding agencies, and was involved in numerous successful commercialization deals of R&D results and inventions. He served as Managing Director of Oxford University Innovation Ltd (previously named Isis Innovation Ltd) at the University of Oxford from 2006 until March 2016, following seven years in technology transfer at Bristol University, and four years at University College London.
Mr. Hockaday will carry out the review of the current institutional framework and will provide subject matter expert opinion and advice on the extent to which the current institutional framework supports and facilitates knowledge transfer in Cyprus. He will also advise the RIF on the design of Financial Instruments & Funding Programs to support knowledge transfer and its horizontal integration across research and innovation activities, whilst also providing advice on the design of complementary, added-value support services to be offered through RIF’s central Knowledge Transfer Office.
The Chief Scientist for Research and Innovation, Dr. Nikolas Mastroyiannopoulos said “It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that I welcome the beginning of the collaboration with Mr. Hockaday. I am confident that with the vast experience he brings we will be able to achieve our strategic goals in relation to the commercial exploitation of research results and establish R&I as one of the key drivers for economic growth and social prosperity”
Theodoros Loukaidis, the RIF Director General, said: “we have a young but fast developing R&I ecosystem and we are fully committed to enabling its further development” and added “Tom’s vast experience will be of great value to our efforts to deliver a central Knowledge Transfer Office that will offer high-impact, added-value services, that promote and facilitate the transfer of results from research labs to the market”.
Tom Hockaday, Director, Technology Transfer Innovation Ltd, said: “I very much look forward to working with RIF and other colleagues across the Cyprus research-based innovation community, helping to develop the policies, funding support programmes and knowledge transfer capacity to support and grow research-based innovation in Cyprus.”
Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF)
The Research and Innovation Foundation (www.research.org.cy) is the national authority in charge of supporting and promoting research, technological development and innovation in Cyprus. The RIF’s mission is pursued through the design and monitoring of funding programmes for research and innovation actions, in combination with the support of the integration of Cypriot researchers in research and innovation activities at a European and international level.
About Technology Transfer Innovation:
Technology Transfer Innovation (www.technologytransferinnovation.com/) is a UK-based consulting company established in 2016 by Tom Hockaday. The company provides consulting expertise to universities, research institutions, and governments on topics relating to the strategy, governance and operations of university-business interactions, university technology transfer, student entrepreneurship, proof-of-concept and seed investment funds to assist in developing their technology transfer activities, and to help seed investment funds to operate successfully.