Corporate Venturing Insider #3: Victoria Slivkoff @ University of Cal, interview by Nicolas Sauvage | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Victoria Slifkov, Global Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the UC Office of the President, discusses the University of California's innovation initiatives and partnerships, the importance of engaging with universities, and the future trends in venture capital.

Key Insights

• 🧡 The UC system is a robust innovation ecosystem with a diverse range of research and innovation capabilities across ten campuses and various institutions, making it an attractive partner for industry and investors.
• 👨‍🔬 Collaboration between universities and industry is crucial for driving innovation and bringing solutions to market. The UC system actively seeks partnerships with industry to commercialize research and provide real-world applications for their innovations.
• 🪛 The UC Office of the President focuses on increasing diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship, leveraging corporate partnerships, and driving economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What is the role of the UC Office of the President in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship?

The UC Office of the President oversees the system-wide innovation and entrepreneurship enterprise, working to coordinate activities, secure funding, and promote collaboration among the campuses, medical centers, and other institutions within the UC system. They aim to drive economic growth, promote public benefit, and support faculty, students, and alumni entrepreneurs.

Q: How does the UC system engage with industry and corporate venture capitalists?

The UC system actively seeks partnerships with industry and corporate venture capitalists to bring solutions to market. They engage in sponsored research, startup investment, partnerships, mentorship, workforce development, and tech commercialization. These collaborations help leverage industry resources, know-how, and investment to drive innovation and bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Q: What initiatives is the UC Office of the President most proud of in the past four years?

The UC Office of the President is proud of the strategic roadmap they developed to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship across the UC system. They have also focused on raising proof-of-concept funds to support technologies at the cusp of commercialization. Additionally, they have fostered ecosystem mapping and increased efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship.

Q: What trends do you foresee in venture capital for 2021?

The speaker predicts that digital transformation will continue to be a significant trend, with traditional brick-and-mortar businesses moving online, the increased use of data analytics, and a focus on cybersecurity and privacy. Telemedicine and decentralized manufacturing are also expected to play major roles in the post-pandemic world.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Victoria Slifkov oversees the system-wide innovation and entrepreneurship enterprise at the University of California, working to transform UC's intellectual and innovation capital into economic growth and public benefit.

• The UC system is an innovation powerhouse, conducting 10% of all academic research in the U.S. and having the largest IP portfolio of any university. UC's innovation ecosystem spans across ten campuses, medical centers, national laboratories, and more.

• The UC Office of the President focuses on increasing system-wide coordination, securing funding, promoting collaboration, supporting entrepreneurs, and creating partnerships to drive innovation and entrepreneurship.