RISE (http://www.rise.ch) in its first year carried out a series of projects and activities In two whole-day research workshops with our company partners, we discussed fundamental problems concerning the venturing process and in-depth questions as to the successful commercialisation of research and technology in the context of Pharma/Biotech. At an Advisory Board Meeting, we discussed with our company partners and specialists from the university environment (Prof. Peter Gomez, HSG; Prof Walter Gander and Prof. Bernard Withold, ETH, Zürich) the basic orientation of RISE, and the significance of our investigationsfor the educational and economic situation in Switzerland.
Our research team took up several of these questions together with our international research partners (e.g., Professors Pierre-Yves Gomez, EM Lyon, Dorothy Leonard, Harvard Business School, Donald Maclean, University of Glasgow), in scientific papers and thematized them at important conferences such as EGOS, AoM, AiSM and SMS.
Parallel to this, these themes were analysed in various empirical settings: in a comparative case-study of Adnovum, Ergon and Netcetera, three of the most successful software firms in Switzerland over the last few years; a single-case study of Bluewin from its foundation till the present day; a comparative case-study of the development of Actelion, Arpida, Prionics and TGC in the tension-field between scientific research, technological innovation and commercialisation; a study on the innovation strategy of Hoffman La Roche which might well revolutionise the views of the Pharma industry on research and development.
Several of these themes were dealt with in more depth at teaching-events; together with Professors Elgar Fleisch and Johannes Rüegg on the theme of «Strategic Change in the Pharma Industry» and with Professor Rolf Pfeifer of the Artificial Intelligence Lab. of Zürich University and Peter Rudin on «Commercialisation of Research and Technology». Dr Simon Grand presented the themes of RISE in lectures given, for example, as a guest of IBM Switzerland in Interlaken, and at the Jönköping University in Sweden (at the invitation of Professor Leif Melin). In addition, for the new conception of teaching at the HSG, new course-forms in the field of Entrepreneurship and Innovation are planned.
In 2003 RISE gained Hoffman La Roche as a new business partner, and other company partners will join us at the beginning of 2004. Professor Pierre-Yves Gomez was here as a guest at the HSG in 2003 and, with Simon Grand, held a doctoral seminar on «Knowledge, Innovation and Theories of the Firm».
Finally, we heartily congratulate Stefan Arn, founding partner of RISE and our long-term partner in discussions on questions of strategy and entrepreneurship. He has been chosen as «Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of 2003».
