2nd edition of the Binational Health Innovation node launched

BACKGROUND

 What is I-CORPS

I-Corps

I-Corps

I-Corps is a  methodology  developed by the U.S.  National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency whose

goal is to foster progress in science and health. 

This methodology  is used to  help researchers  who wish to market their technology, by testing it on the potential market. 

They are  guaranteed  a  better - than-80% success rate for entrepreneurial projects , compared  to others who follow a traditional method or path. 

Therefore, I-Corps  makes it  easier  to  create technology -based startups. 

Methodology. 

EGADE Business School

Tec I-Corps Challenge 

PILOT PROGRAM

At the end of 2015, with backing from CONACYT, this method is added to EGADE Business School, through the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. The main requirements for participating projects were a technology base and social impact. 

The idea was not only to develop ideas and projects with potential but also to encourage a focus on community benefit. 

The Tecnológico de Monterrey Office of Technology Transfer was central to the alliance formed, selecting eight projects that made up the first class.  

There was also a team of associate instructors: 5 from the ITESM and 2 external, who were trained in the method. 

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The method is based  on interviewing customers, suppliers, and  experts, to identify  the  problems or needs  that might  be fixed by technology and the possible solutions through products and services, or some combination of the two. 

For  seven  weeks , the  team  is  in  contact  with  potential customers, partners, and competitors, to  learn how to manage uncertain situations about marketing a technological innovation.

The team begins with a  hypothesis  to be  tested  and develops  a process  that  helps  it  make decisions based on market behavior.  

The  program  is  an  interactive  process  that  includes  activities outside  the classroom, including carrying out interviews, mainly with potential clients and industry players who help identify the problems and the current situation. 

Fifteen interviews a week are expected, making up 100 by the end of the program. 

The team members will be working from 6 to 8 hours a week. 

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• The program began with a three-day workshop in the EGADE BS Monterrey facilities. 

• Later, 5 online sessions were held (Webex). 

• At the end, a two-day workshop was given in Monterrey, covering lessons learned.

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NODO Health Innovation Startups Look to Commercialize their technology

• During  the  closing  seminar   and  the   Binational NODO   Health  Innovation  program’s  graduation, the 22  participating  teams presented their project findings  and  their  plans  to   commercialize  their technology  within  the  medicinal, biotechnological and nanotechnological fields.

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• NODO wants to  influence  the  startup  generation and the application of scientific research in Mexico, promoting  a  practical   focus  among  researchers aimed at innovating and resolving social issues.

Mexico City, 30th June 2017

The  closing  seminar  and  the  Binational  NODO  Health Innovation  program’s  graduation,  were  held  on the 29th and 30th of June.  The  entrepreneurial program dedicated to  the  creation  of   Startups  within  the  health  sector  in Mexico  using I - Corps  methodology is a multi-institutional effort by the EGADE  Business  School at  Tecnológico  de Monterrey, the Mexican Institute of Social Security  (IMSS), the Independent University of the State of Morelos and the UNAM  Biotechnological Institute.  During  the  seven-week duration  of  the  program, the 22 teams have validated the viability  of  their  projects  in  the  market  by   interviewing various  potential  clients  about  the  commercialization  of their innovations in the health sector.    

Dr. Fernando  Moya, the Project Leader and Director of the Executive MBA at the EGADE Business School, described the  program  as  very  satisfactory .  “ This  project  is  just beginning,  and  it  is now time  to  start thinking of how we can  grow  it  for  these  companies  and  products  to  help generate a knowledge-driven economy  in the country”. He also underlined the benefit for the students  at the  EGADE Business  School,  who have the opportunity “to participate in highly  technological  undertakings and innovations, and to interact with researchers from all four institutions,  which will  contribute  immensely  to  their  training  and  increase their chances of success when bringing it to the market”.     

Dr.  Teresa  de   León,   the   Technical   Secretary   of   the Technological    Innovation   Fund,   and   Director   of   the Technological  Commercialization  of   Conacyt,  explained that  “ through the use  of I - Corps,  this  Initiative  aims  to educate,   train   and   raise   the   awareness  of   scientific personnel on the commercialization  of technology.  This is the beginning of a watershed that we hope to achieve, with scientific  personnel  beginning  to talk  about  the  market, industry, strategic allies and production processes.”    

“ We  hope  that by these scientific personnel incorporating these  elements  that  allow   them to  provide  relevance to their technological developments, we will  be able to  better manage the risk of the projects that we receive in  Conacyt or other existing  funds  and  provide  participants  with the instrumentation  they  need  to  Increase  the  value of their initiatives   to    trigger   high   value   business  ideas   said Dr. León.  

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Dr.   Gerardo   Corzo  from   the  UNAM   Biotechnological Institute,  stated  that the program had been very revealing. “Addressing a real - life situation  has helped us to analyze the market from the customer’s perspective and opened up our   business   level.   We   have   realized  that, within the pharmacological  development  sector, there  are  areas of opportunity to create manufacturing  organizations that are dedicated  to taking  on   projects,   evaluating   them   and proposing an infrastructure to generate a sellable  product.   

Each of the 21 participating teams is made up of a research professor, a research assistant, a post-graduate student and an I-Corps mentor. 

Dr.  Fátima  López,  the  Head  of  the  IMSS Technological Innovation Division, an institution which participated with  6 innovation projects across different therapeutic areas,  said that  “ the   program   has   increased    the    researchers ’’ knowledge of unknown areas and they have learned about the value of their innovations  in the  market.  This program complements the innovative strategy initiated by the IMSS almost  4  years ago,  where  one  of  the objectives was to look for an opportunity in the market and a  confirmation of the   research.  Additionally,  we  have  also   identified  the necessary   steps  to  achieve   successful   licensing   and industry interest in the acquisition of these technologies”.         

Marta González,  a   participating   student   from  EGADE Business  School  on the “ Intelligent  White Stick”  project, affirmed that “ I - Corps  was  a great opportunity to learn a methodology  that really works.  We learned to  understand people ,  and  that   was  really  rewarding  as  it  made  us improve our product to have a worldwide impact”. 

Mario ,  a   researcher   who   is   developing  a  respiratory illnesses   diagnostic  test   ( Team 11 ) ,  stated   that “ the experience of  participating in the Binational NODO Health Innovation  program   was   rewarding   in   both   terms  of learning and team  work, as every team member played an important   part   in the  development   of  the  process.  As researchers,  we  now know  how to  tackle  issues  from  a business perspective”.    

The  program’ s  graduation   ceremony   took   place in the Tecnológico  de Monterrey’s  Congress  Hall  at their Santa Fe   campus,  concluding   the  validation  process   of   the business models of the various projects  in  the  medicinal, biotechnological and nanotechnological fields.  

The  program  has I - Corps  instructors  appointed  by  the National  Science  Foundation  in  the  United States along with EGADE Business  School  teachers, to help train and educate the teams on the methodology.  

Beyond  the  conclusion  of   the   program,  NODO  wants  to influence the creation of startups and the  application of scientific research in Mexico,  promoting  a  practical  focus among  researchers   aimed   at  innovating  and  resolving social issues.

The program has I-Corps instructors appointed by the National Science

Foundation  in  the  United  States along with EGADE Business School

teachers.

CASES OF SUCCESS COHORT 2017

Smart White Staff for the Blind

Principal Investigator: Ana Gabriela Gallardo Hernández

Institution: Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS)

Team:

Student (S): Martha González Gorgonio (EGADE-ITESM)

Mentor: Roland Von Blücher

Project description:

Device that attaches to  the white canes that provides security to the blind and visually impaired in their movements.

Detects through three sets of ultrasonic sensors obstacles in the floor ( steps and  irregularities in the floor ), at the  height  of  the waist and up to the user's knees and in the area near the head.

Achievements after the I-Corps Program:

Development of the first functional prototype.

First  prize   in  the  category  of   " Go to  Market "   of  the  Pitch Workshop  before  Investors organized  in the framework  of  the INCMty event. With  this  funding , 10 functional prototypes  have been acquired to carry out validation tests.​

Neuroprotective polymers for spinal cord injury

Principal Investigator: Dra Hermelinda Salgado Ceballos

Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS)

Team:

Investigator 2: Dr. Rodrigo Mondragón Lozano

Student (S): Luis Alberto Alvarez Becerra (EGADE-ITESM)

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Project description:

Therapeutic    strategy    consisting    of    pyrrole   polymer   with neuroprotective  properties,  preventing  the  cells of the nervous system   from  dying   and   with  neuroregenerative   properties , repairing the damage pro duced by a spinal cord injury.

Achievements after the I-Corps Program:

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Preclinical trials in primates continue.

Second prize in the category of "Scientific and Social Impact"  of the  Pitch   Workshop   before  Investors   organized   within   the framework of the INCMty event.  With this funding, progress  has been made in preclinical trials in the second animal species.

Delayed milk 

Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Equipment 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jorge A. Reyes Esparza 

Team:

Mentor: MBA Eduardo Durón Araujo 

Entrepreneur: Jaime Aguilar Interiano 

Investigator 2: LF Gabriela Marquina Carmona 

Researcher 3: M in CCI Ricardo I. Sotelo Alemán 

Project description:

According to the world health organization,  approximately 1% of the world's population  is born  with lactose  intolerance, a higher percentage will  present it  transitorily during lactation  and  other stages of life, mainly in the elderly.

This  disease  is due  to  the deficiency of the enzyme  lactase in the intestine.

The   most  common   treatment  is   to  stop  breastfeeding  and substitute lactose-free formulas.

During  customer  discovery it was found  that the  value offer  is: Infants with lactose intolerance can be breastfed using a mixture of probiotics  and microbial lysate, without affecting the defenses present in breast milk. 

Achievements after the I-Corps Program: 

Progress has  been  made in the selection of the microbial strain to  be  used,  since a slow - growing  one  was  previously  being used, which was found not to be convenient for the objective.

The  activity  of  " lactase "  is being  tested in an acidic medium, such  as  the  stomach,  and subsequently I  will be  tested  in  a medium to which the pH was restored.

Progress is being  made in the  formulation  of  the laboratory for the construction of a laboratory prototype.

I-CORPS PILOT

WEA ROBOT

Business name: WeaRobot S.A.P.I.

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NANOFLUIDS

Inventor:

Dr. Ernesto Rodríguez Leal.

A  manufacturing  and  robotics  company  dedicated to the  design and development of exoskeletons. 

Products and/or services:  

Active exoskeleton to rehabilitate arm movements. 

A non-invasive mechatronics device that generates joint movement using EEG  and  EMG  signals,  with specific  applications such as motor - skills  rehabilitation  of  extremities  and  / or  movement  of extremities. 

Business name: ELVIA Nanofluids, S.A. de C.V.

A business that develops refrigerating and lubricating nanofluids.

For  nano  refrigerants ,  disperse ,  stabilized   nanoparticles  have better  heat -  conduction  properties ,  while  nano  lubricants  help reduce the amount of friction and wear.  

Some industries where they are used are in electricity transformers

, autos, and metal-mechanics. 

Products and/or services: 

OIL LUBRICANT FOR AUTO AND INDUSTRIAL USE ,  WITH ADDED DECORATED GRAPHENE.  

The technology consists of  an oil  lubricant  with  graphene  nano-flakes decorated with metallic, ceramic, or polymeric nanoparticles. The  nanolubricant  improves  the  lubricant’s thermal , rheological, and tribological properties when used as a fluid base. 

The disperse nanoparticles help the oil detect and cover the tiniest imperfections  on metal  surfaces , creating  a  protective layer that reduces friction, wear, and fuel usage.

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Inventor:

Dr. Ernesto Rodríguez Leal.

Governance / Participants:

CEO: Edgar David Ramón Raygoza

PhD Student in Engineering Sciences (DCI) CTO: Dr. Carlos Iván Rivera Solorio

CTO Associate Professor: Dr. Enrique Giménez Torres, external professor 

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Presenting NODO, an Institutional Alliance to Support

Startup Creation in Mexico’s Healthcare Sector  

• The  Binational  Healthcare  Innovation   NODO  is  launched ,  a strategic alliance between EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Mexican  Social Security Institute ( IMSS ) , the University of the State of Morelos, and the  UNAM Biotechnology Institute, to support Mexican startups based on cutting-edge research in healthcare. 

• Sponsored  by  the Conacyt ,  this  groundbreaking   program   in Mexico  is  based  on  I - Corps , a method developed by the U.S. National Science Foundation to support researchers who want to market test their technology.

• For  six  months ,  the  21  projects  led  by  researchers from the partner  institutions  will  carry out  100  interviews  with  potential customers, so they can learn more about market needs and  take a decision about the feasibility of their projects. ​

Mexico City, April 4, 2017 –Leading research institutions have officially launched the Binational Healthcare Innovation NODO, to support the creation of technology-based healthcare-sector startups in Mexico. The strategic alliance between  EGADE   Business School,  Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), the University of the State of Morelos, and the UNAM  Biotechnology  Institute is taking part in the Conacyt “Binational Nodes” contest. 

Fernando Moya, the project leader; Teresa de León, the technical secretary of the Technology Innovation Fund and the  director of  Conacyt Marketing  and  Technology;  Fátima  López, the director of the  IMSS Technology  Innovation  Department ;  Verónica  Rodríguez,  rom   the University  of the  State of Morelos;  Gerardo Corzo, from the  UNAM  Biotechnology Institute;  Luis A. Márquez, the director of the  Full-time MBA  in  Innovation  &  Entrepreneurship  and  the  director  of  the  EGADE  Business  School ,  Mexico  City  Campus  Innovation  and Entrepreneurship Center; and Pedro López Sela, a certified I-Corps method instructor, took part in the event. 

At the launch, Dr. Fernando Moya, the director of the  EGADE  Business  School Executive MBA program, explained that this program is the result  of  previous  experience  with the  I - Corps  method, such as the  EGADE  Business  School “ TEC  Challenge :  I-Corps”  program in November 2015, and the pilot program by FUMEC in May  2015. “The I - Corps  is  a  method  from  the U.S.  National  Science Foundation, whose goal is for research to go beyond universities and have an impact on the economy.  The researchers leave the lab and  have  contact with the customers and users of their inventions, so that they can test their market feasibility,” he said. 

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“The spirit of this program is  for  research projects to  have an economic impact, to turn into businesses.  We  want to help to create more startups, to bring the concept of innovation to life, and  to  change  the  mentality  of  researchers  about  solving problems that affect people,” added Dr. Moya. 

To do so, this program  exposes  the researcher  along  with a team   made  up  of  a  mentor  with  business  experience ,  a research assistant, and an EGADE Business School graduate student to methods used in the School. The participants begin with a  hypothesis  to  be tested  and develop  a market-based decision-making  process.  “ Following  the  Learn  Launchpad method,  they start to  fill  out  the  business  model  canvas to define the value proposition,” he explained. 

For  seven  weeks,   the  21  participating  teams ,   who   lead projects in areas such  as  nanotechnology , biotechnology, or medicine ,  carry  out  at  least  100  interviews  with   potential customers  to learn  more  about market  needs.  By  being  in contact  with  potential  customers,  partners, and competitors, the  participants  learn  to handle  uncertain   situations  about marketing a technology innovation. 

At the  end  of  the  program ,  the  teams   take  an  informed decision about the feasibility of their projects and the creation of their new startup, with evidence obtained from the  market; they explain why they  will or will not  move forward  with their project. 

Instructor  Pedro López Sela noted that the program changes the  research  culture , helping  researchers  understand  that their work must have a market application.

“Today, we have a success rate higher than  60 %  of projects that  continue  down  the  path  toward  entrepreneurship, and more than 1,000 projects have participated in the program  in the U.S . , ”  he said   López  Sela highlighted the  importance of engagement between teams.

“The knowledge  transfer  between   the teams  and the  open communication   channels  with   other  actors  create  shared learning.” 

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Meanwhile, Luis A. Márquez commented that an ecosystem is developed so that the tested project can  be connected to financing. “ We understand how important it is to support the entrepreneur to keep creating value along the entire chain. We work with the interests of backers such as angel investors or venture capital funds so that they can invest in these types of projects,” he explained.  

The  technical  secretary  from  the  Technology  Innovation  Fund and the director of Conacyt Marketing and Technology, Teresa de León, noted that the NODOS initiative can “ polish ”  the  entrepreneurial  projects,  make sure they are tested and that they have a more- adequate risk  management,  so that when they ask for funds, they are more certain about their developments.

She added that the  Conacyt has three mechanisms  to  support businesses  in  their innovation   projects  the   Technology  Innovation  Fund ,  the   Innovation   Stimulus Program, and the Fiscal Stimulus Program. 

Finally, Fátima López, from the IMSS, noted that,  “ This program  gives  researchers the  opportunity  to broaden their knowledge and skills ; the projects  we choose  are here because we believe that they solve a huge problem.” 

In this program, which ends in June, the teams face the real world, where they  learn to deal with potential customers through face-to- face  nterviews and experience  the possibility of knowledge transfer about the products and services they offer to benefit society. 

Mexico City, May 14, 2017

The Inaugural Workshop of the Binational Innovation in Healthcare NODO, a venture program backed by the Conacyt to foster  the  creation of startups in  Mexico’s  healthcare  sector, took place in the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Santa Fe Campus Conference Room from May 11–13. NODO uses the I-Corps method developed by the U.S.  National  Science Foundation to back researchers  who  hope  to  test  market   their  technology  by  understanding   market  needs through a series of interviews with potential customers. 

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Leading  research  institutions — the  Mexican  Social  Security  Institute, the University of the State of Morelos, and the  UNAM  Biotechnology  Institute — together with  EGADE Business School ,  Tecnológico  de  Monterrey ,  make  up  22  cross - disciplinary  teams ,  each with a researcher and assistant, a student, and a mentor. 

Dr. Fernando Moya , the head  of the  Binational  Innovation in  Healthcare NODO, welcomed everyone  and told  some  success  stories of  startups that  had used the method in the past, highlighting  the  importance  of tapping into the  synergies  shared by  the  members  of each group. 

Edmund Pendleton, an I-Corps instructor, talked about how important the method is in helping scientists   learn  about   and   identify  business  opportunities  derived  from  their  academic research.  He   added   that   this  method  offers  hands - on learning  about  how  to  transfer knowledge and research successfully to products and processes that benefit society. 

Teresa de León, the technical secretary of the “Technology Innovation Fund”  and  the director of Technology Marketing at Conacyt, addressed the program  participants,  motivating them to develop business skills. 

On the first day of the workshop, each team presented a project and  the  team members.  On the second day, the participants held the first  interviews, and on the third day, they  presented the first findings and hypotheses and received training from the instructors. 

What do the I-Corps researchers expect? 

The  researchers  hope  to have  a better  understanding of  the  pros  and cons of the project presented , moving beyond  academic  barriers and  having a real impact, with a value-added product approach that meets society’ s needs and  concentrates on  solving Mexico’s different health issues. 

Dr. María Crystal Columba, from the University of Morelos, noted that, “Researchers  on  their own do not have the tools to design a potentially marketable project, so they need the backing that the NODO team can offer them.” 

Meanwhile, Dr. Verónica  Rodríguez López,  from the Pharmacy  Department at the University of Morelos, stated that, “ The  interviews  with potential customers help us find out if there is a need that our product meets, and help us improve the product.” 

According  to  Flor  Escalante  Leyva  and   Gerardo  Corzo,  from  the  UNAM  Biotechnology Institute, the idea is to “spread  research findings not only to academic circles but also among the general population, with easy-to-grasp wording and ideas.”  

The students’ business outlook 

EGADE  Business  School  students  bring  o the  projects  their  business  outlook ,  their entrepreneurial  and  innovative approach,  and  their  experience  and   knowledge  acquired, especially on topics such as Business Model Design and Design Thinking.  They also hope to learn more about the I-Corps and canvas methods and to learn to assess and test a new idea on the market, or to contribute to the impact of research on Mexico’s healthcare sector. 

“I signed up  for the program  because of its  real - life ,  meticulous  method for  testing a new product. I believe firmly in the phrase, ‘Fail Fast and Fail Cheap’. I hope to have more  tools for making any idea a reality in the best way possible,” said  Jaime  Roberto  Aguilar Interiano, an EGADE  Business  School MBA  student.  His  classmate  Javier  Díaz Machín noted that, “innovation in the healthcare sector can have one of the largest impacts on society.” 

According  to  the  student  Carlos  Ángel , “We need to apply all  the steps  from the  method, because  success  stories  don’t  come  about by  chance .  They  are  processes  carried  out systematically and with discipline, and they are focused on fostering creativity and innovation.” Abraham Trigueros  Salazar added  that it was necessary  to “ use the method  to  develop  or polish the  business  proposition , to check if the goal market or customer is the right one, and to build the product marketing platform.” 

The  goal  of  the  NODO  is  to  have  an impact on startup creation and on applying scientific research  in  Mexico, fostering  in the  researchers a  hands - on  approach  for innovating and solving social problems. 

Contacts

EGADE Bussines School

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Mtra. Lilia Bárcena C.

lilia.barcena@itesm.mx

9177-8000, ext. 7668

IMSS

Dgti

Dra. Adriana López Dominguez

Líder Institucional

Adriana.lopezd@imss.gob.mx

Tel: +52 - 55-5627-6900 ext. 21214

UAEM

Dra. Verónica Rodríguez

veronica_rodriguez@uaem.mx

777 3297000 ext. 3699

Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación "Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra"

Dr. Javier Pérez Orive

Líder institucional

jperezo@inr.gob.mx

Tel. +52-55-5999-1000 ext. 13227