MPS Distiguished Lecture: Professor Angus Kingon, Brown University

ABSTRACT

We will first discuss returns on our national science investments.  But can we identify critical steps that may be limiting the economic impact of our science? Key steps are discussed in the context of the "Valley of Death" between science and commercialization, and we identify certain improvements that could potentially have a substantial impact, providing illustrations with programs that have had such an impact.  Finally, we address the role of faculty and graduate students in creating economic value from their science, and argue for the need for greater involvement of these researchers in economic value creation, particularly at the pre-commercialization stages of opportunity identification.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

Angus Kingon is Professor of Engineering, and University Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organizational Studies at Brown University as of 2008.  He is the Academic Director of the Commerce, Organizations and Entrepreneurship Program, and the co-Director in the graduate Masters-level Program on Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship (PRIME) at Brown University.  He specializes in technology commercialization and technology entrepreneurship, and has developed interventions to promote the commercialization of emerging science in several countries.  He has developed teaching methods for technology entrepreneurship and commercialization that have been adopted around the world, and also adapted for corporate use.  At the same time, Professor Kingon maintains an active research program in ceramic and electronic materials and nanotechnology.  He has published about 340 papers in refereed journals, edited 7 books, published 8 book chapters, and has 15 issued patents.  Some of his research has been commercialized, for example in conjunction with Motorola for use in mobile phones.  He was the co-winner of the Price Foundation Award as Innovative Entrepreneurship Educator for 2006.  He is a Fellow of the Center for Innovation Management Studies, and a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society.