BrainMatch – the first step on the way to a new collaboration
For the first time, on the 27th of March 2012, BrainsBusiness hosted the BrainMatch conference, in which research and business could meet to discuss future collaboration opportunities. The conference created a deeper understanding of the purposes for which the business world could make use of PhD students and the university. And not least the presentations of the SixthSense inventor, Pranav Mistry, and Google’s Alfred Biehler attracted people to the conference.
”For quite some time now, I’ve been stuck on a task that we were unable to perform. When I got the invitation to the conference and the chance to meet with one or more PhD students, I did not respond right away. Only when BrainsBusiness called to remind me of the invitation, I seized the opportunity – and now, I’m sitting here talking to Kasper who already has an idea for a solution. At the same time, we discovered that he can also help us with a completely different task”, says the manager of the company KloiMøller, Nikolaj Møller Nielsen, and refers to Kasper Søe Luckow who is an ICT PhD student from Aalborg University.
Both of them participated in Brains Business’ BrainMatch conference on the 27th of March 2012 in Aalborg Kongres & Kultur Center, and during the non-committal conversation with the manager, Kasper Søe Luckow gave an estimate as to how his research could help KloiMøller increase its potential.
”I’m in the BrainMatch database. But it was actually Berit Brendborg of Brains Business who asked me if I wanted to meet with Nikolaj Møller Nielsen today”, says Kasper Søe Luckow.
Under the name of BrainMatch, BrainsBusiness launched Denmark’s first interactive database of ICT PhD students at Aalborg University. The database provides an overview of the ICT research in a language that everybody understands and it contains examples of the way in which the business world can use the new research knowledge.
Match-making does not come of its own accord
BrainsBusiness invited all ICT companies in Northern Jutland to the BrainMatch conference and at the same time informed them about the PhD database. But it is a long process to bring the database into play, Berit Brendborg, who is responsible for information and marketing in BrainsBusiness, concludes.
”We have had a telemarketing bureau call the companies to follow up on the offer. All things considered, we had to realise that it just does not happen overnight. But we are pleased that the first move was made. It created a deeper understanding as to for what the business world can use the PhD students and the university, and more and more companies are interested in collaborating. But it requires a major effort to facilitate the matches, as they do not come on their own accord – at least not in the beginning”, says Berit Brendborg.
- www.pranavmistry.com
SixthSense
All in all there were 350 participants from the academic, the private and the public sector, and in addition to match-making, there were several presentations on where the ICT business is headed. Some merely came to listen to the celebrities, e.g. internationally renowned within ICT, Pranav Mistry of the MIT Media Lab.
Pranav Mistry is a designer, an engineer, an inventor and a PhD candidate, and he illustrated among other things how his invention, the so-called SixthSense-technology makes it possible to use computers, cameras, smart phones and tablets without having the technological tools in your hands. He illustrated how to check your e-mail on the wall, take pictures with your hands only or dial a phone number in the palm of your hand.
Another popular presentation was by Alfred Biehler, who is a so-called Search & GEO channel manager at Google. Among other things he explained how Google uses research to create new markets.
In addition, there were many presentations from university people as well as representatives from the public and the private sectors within the ICT area, on which Northern Jutland is leading. Common to many of the presentations was a weighting on the collaboration across public and private organisations and on how the companies use the latest Northern Danish research.
All through the day, it was also possible to experience the Aalborg University Walk of ICT exhibition that guided the visitors through the ICT research showing them specific ways of using it.
