31/03/2017 - Permalink

Converting ‘hidden gem’ research projects into commercial successes: talk at University Centre Shrewsbury

Related topics: Partner organisations

News from our partners University Centre Shrewsbury

In a talk taking place on Thursday 6 April 2017 at 6pm at University Centre Shrewsbury (UCS), Dr Simon Brown and John Richardson of the university incubator partnership SETSquared will introduce the ICURe Innovation-to-Commercialisation programme, share the findings from their pilot, and discuss the potential impact of a national roll-out.

The ICURe Innovation-to-Commercialisation programme, piloted by SETsquared and funded by InnovateUK and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, helps university researchers with commercially promising ideas to ‘get out of the lab’ and validate their ideas in the marketplace. The programme aims to uncover intellectual property (IP) hidden in university research groups, with the aim of exploring the potential for exploitation. The SETsquared team won Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year at the 2016 Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards for their work on unleashing such hidden IP.

SETsquared team - University Centre Shrewsbury talk

The SETsquared team celebrate their win at the 2016 Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards; (left to right) Alan Scrase (Programme Director); Shavi Parhar (Administrator); Simon Brown (Academic Lead); Lisa Mcmullan (Programme Facilitator).

Dr Brown explains:

“Our aim with the ICURe programme is to help academics think and behave more entrepreneurially and creatively. Researchers often have a real fear of failure and can be very risk averse, so our long-term target is to help them find clear routes to more commercial impact from their research and to be more comfortable taking business-based risks.”

This event will invite participants to explore the opportunities for the region, and Shropshire specifically. It will be of interest to educators working in Higher Education research and development and will examine the possibilities for universities and other HE institutions in the region to increase their role as local anchor institutions and engines for regeneration.

The talk takes place at Guildhall and is free, though booking is essential. To book a place, email communications@ucshrewsbury.ac.uk or call 01743 297553.