Five Questions With: Rick Mahoney

November 16, 2011
By Kimberley Donoghue
PBN Web Editor
Twitter: @ kdonog

 
IAN "TRADITIONALLY any organization regardless of size and industry would end up dealing with a fairly short list of familiar vendors when it came time for procurement," said Rick Mahoney, vice president of business development of the Innovation Access Network.
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The Innovation Access Network, launched in February, hopes to better connect contractors with New England-based technology providers by allowing them to post requests for services as well as search a database offering services and products.

Some of the “seekers” include the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Lockheed Martin and Draper Labs.

Backed by the Massachusetts High Technology Council, the network hopes to expand its “innovator” (provider) base to 500 by the end of 2011.

Rick Mahoney, vice president of business development, answered five questions about the project.

PBN: The network is now in its eighth month – how is it progressing? How many innovators and seekers are signed up? Have you had any matchups yet?

MAHONEY: IAN continues to see explosive growth since its formal launch in late February. We currently have more than 250 Innovations posted on the portal and well over 100 technology requests from the Seeker community.

One of our areas of focus over the past few months has been the research universities. With most of the Massachusetts-based universities already signed on as University Sponsors we are now expanding our discussions beyond Massachusetts to include all universities in New England. With ongoing discussions at the University of New Hampshite, the University of Vermont, the University of Connecticut and Yale, our goal is to have engagement amongst all the New England universities by the end of the calendar year.

Another quickly developing market centers around global players looking to more effectively do business here in the States. We are presently in discussion with several technology clusters in the UK, France, Israel, and Japan which would have an immediate impact on the number of innovations and technology requests in IAN.

In addition, we recently introduced IAN’s Resource Sponsors, a vast collection of business-development resources housed on the IAN portal. These developments have resulted in greater participation in IAN with connections being made and ultimately new business opportunities being spawned. One of the more recent examples of the success being had through IAN was a connection made between a Defense Seeker and an innovator in the energy sector. Both parties have conveyed how important IAN’s role was in establishing a business opportunity between the two. The both agreed they never would have found each other and thought an opportunity existed to do business, had it not been for their participation in IAN. It’s really exciting to think about where we are headed in 2012.

PBN: How did contractors, such as the NUWC, find technology providers before IAN? Was finding providers a big problem?

MAHONEY: Traditionally any organization regardless of size and industry would end up dealing with a fairly short list of familiar vendors when it came time for procurement. The problem with this model is over time new innovative technologies that could address a specific need or replace an existing technology went undiscovered. If you only get new ideas from a small pool of resources, sooner or later the innovations will run out. By opening up to new ideas from new and unexpected resources, you dramatically increase your chances for discovering new innovations. But the question, even for those with the resources to actively search for new technologies, remained: where do I start? A quick web search shows an endless supply of marketplaces that are nothing more than repositories of innovative technologies.

Many companies today simply do not have the resources to allocate to this type of active search. This is why the Massachusetts High Tech Council got started with this project. Based upon feedback from our members, we created an open innovation portal that leverages social media capabilities and connects those seeking technology with those who are innovating, without the need to actively search. Leveraging an algorithm that is built into the portal, the system continually performs a search function looking to make connections between Innovators and Seekers.

PBN: What’s an example of a product/service that contractors had a hard time filling?

MAHONEY: Let’s take IAN’s Defense Seekers. An area they may be focused on could be developing lighter, longer lasting batteries for war fighter equipment or enhanced night vision technology for close proximity applications. In both cases, these Defense Seekers may struggle to find companies innovating in these areas. On the flip side, there are firms that have developed solutions to address that need, but they may not know how to go about doing business with large corporate entities. This is even more common when doing business with the government – the Pentagon or otherwise – which can be so overwhelming that smaller companies don’t even know where to start. IAN provides that direct connection between large and small entities and does it in a safe, secure and manageable environment.

PBN: IAN is New England-focused – why? How do other regions in the U.S. fill this disconnect between “seekers” and “innovators?”

MAHONEY: IAN has no boundaries. Our initial strategy focused on New England, which we view as the most dynamic technology economy in the US. By starting with Council members and our extended network throughout New England, such as the R.I. Economic Development Corporation, we quickly identified Seekers and Innovators that would want to participate to help grow IAN in a shortened timeframe. Today, we already have Seekers like the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology located in Washington, D.C, Innovators located as far west as California, and with the current discussions with the global clusters we see IAN becoming a global clearinghouse over the winter.

PBN: What kind of technology providers should sign up for IAN? What kind of Rhode Island companies could partake?

MAHONEY: If you are actively seeking technology or are creating innovative technologies then you should subscribe to the Innovation Access Network. This means universities, research labs, government agencies, small businesses, entrepreneurs, large contractors, service providers and more. IAN is in major growth mode, connections are being made, and new business opportunities are being created. We look forward to fostering more meaningful business opportunities in Rhode Island, New England and around the globe through IAN.