Fellow appointed to Dublin institute.

Francis (Fran) Behan has been appointed as Adjunct Innovation Research Fellow at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Hothouse.

Fran Behan

Fran Behan is an Innovation Effectiveness Manager at Corning Incorporated, Sullivan Park Research facility in New York, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of glass, ceramics, and related materials, primarily for industrial and scientific applications.

A graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology where he studied Applied Physics, Fran gained postgraduate qualifications at the Institute of Physics, London and the Open University, Milton Keynes from where he was awarded an MBA. Fran represents Corning on the American Management Associations (AMA) International & Innovation Council and is also a member of the Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) – SMEAL Business School, Penn State, PA.

As a leading international expert with strong marketing, sales and program management skills, Fran is a sought–after expert in the application of the innovation process and practice within Corning where he has held a number of roles since joining its Optical Fiber Division in 1986.

Announcing the appointment, Professor Brian O’Neill, Director of Research, Enterprise and Innovation Services at DIT, said:

“Fran Behan brings an extraordinary wealth of experience to innovation and enterprise support at Dublin Institute of Technology and I believe he will make a most distinguished contribution to DIT Hothouse. As part of his role as Adjunct Innovation Research Fellow, we look forward to his input into our strategic research plans and in venture panel meetings to review new start-up strategies. Where they are mutually beneficial to both Corning and DIT Hothouse, he will bring to bear his wide ranging scientific and technology-related contacts in relation to the industrialization of new start-ups."

DIT Hothouse, which manages all incubation, knowledge transfer and research commercialisation activity across DIT, has an excellent track-record of achievement that exceeds that of many universities in Ireland, Europe and the US. DIT Hothouse has successfully commercialised DIT research in eight of the 14 key government Research Priority areas.

On the incubation side, DIT Hothouse, in collaboration with IADT, manages the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme at DIT, a start-up programme for knowledge intensive businesses which, over the past 10 years, has assisted nearly 400 entrepreneurs to establish 260 sustainable businesses which now employ 1,300 knowledge-based workers, and have attracted over €154 million in equity investment.

Mr. Behan is the first appointment to the role of Adjunct Innovation Research Fellow, which has been facilitated through the DIT Foundation.

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